


Worthy

by ALMartin1011



Series: Thor & Mia [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Angst and Fluff and Smut, Anxiety, Chubby Thor, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fat Thor, Feels, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Happy Ending, Mjolnir - Freeform, My First Fanfic, Romance, SO MUCH FLUFF, Some Humor, Thor Needs a Hug, all the feels, be nice this is my first fanfic, depressed Thor, i just love thor so much, thicc thor, thor is worthy, thor x mia, thor x oc - Freeform, thorxoc
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-12
Updated: 2019-06-12
Packaged: 2020-05-02 02:09:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 27
Words: 37,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19189768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ALMartin1011/pseuds/ALMartin1011
Summary: Set in a post Avengers End Game universe. Thor finally has his chance to receive all the love and peace he deserves.Note: I do not own any MCU characters but the non MCU characters are all of my own creation as is the storyline.





	1. Chapter One

The climb to the cottage took an eternity. The path was rocky and narrow, weaving its way up the cliff to a little rundown cottage at the top. The sea crashed against the rocks from the high winds which also caused my long red hair to flair out all around me. I cursed silently for breaking my only hair tie on the drive over. The peeling paint and rough worn wood became more evident as I approached the door and my concern magnified. He’d been there for a little over year this time. How could anyone stand to be that isolated for so long? What drove him back there again? 

I’d heard stories from the villagers in town when I arrived. He never went outside. No one had seen him in months. Stopped taking care of himself. Yelling heard at odd hours, and cries. My heart clenched as I stood outside the cottage fearing the worst. Please, I prayed silently, please don’t let me be too late. 

I pushed the flimsy door open with ease and entered the dimly lit cottage. The sounds of simulated gun fire followed by a deep, masculine chuckle drifted out from the end of the hallway. I released the breath I had been holding, he was still there. The cottage smelled of stale beer and greasy take out. I wrinkled my nose as the scent intensified the closer I came to what must be the living room. 

Standing in the doorway I could hardly believe my eyes. He was sprawled out in a padded reclining chair, eyes glued to his game, a faint smirk on his lips. The headset he wore drowned out the sound of my arrival and I took a moment to look around. The small room looked like it had hosted a frat party; for the last decade. Beer cans and liquor bottles were stacked in one corner, pizza boxes and styrofoam takeout boxes in the other. It had clearly been awhile since he’d last cleaned. 

As I assessed the room my eyes always drifted back to him. His clothes were like cottage: old, worn out, neglected. His grey sweatpants wore heavy stains from greasy fingers wiping themselves across the sides and his white undershirt was equally stained and yellowing. The beer belly that had started to slowly shrink from his workouts with Quill was back, resting gently over the waistband of his sweatpants. His muscled arms were still as powerful as I remembered but softened slightly from lack of use. He was still magnificent, a god amongst us, just softer now and it suited him. His hair needed desperate help though. His beautiful golden hair had become a mess of long tangled strands and his beard was long and wild. That would be a good start, I thought to myself, a hot shower and a cup of strong coffee. 

“Thor” I called out. 

His eyes were on me in an instant. One brown, one blue, both staring at me in disbelief. “Mia. You came back” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. 

I approached him as he stood up. He motioned as if to pull me in for a hug but then stopped himself, his arms falling to his sides. 

“Of course I did. I would have never stayed away so long if I could have helped it.” I assured him. Whatever his hesitation was I didn’t care, I needed to wrap my arms around him. He stood so still as I moved toe to toe with him. He was over a foot taller than me and I strained my neck to look up at him while I pulled him against me in an embrace. His body sagged for a moment in palpable relief and he hugged me back so tightly I fought for air. 

“I’ve missed you” he said, his head buried in my hair. 

“And I, you. But, Thor, what happened here?” 

He started and stopped a few times to play it off with false bravado but one long piercing look from my hazel eyes and he sighed, giving up. His voice was hoarse as he pulled away to meet my eyes “They’re all still gone. We won but I failed. I have nowhere else to go now. No one who needs me. I just... I can’t... I can’t be a leader, a hero, anything, anymore.” 

Tears stung at my eyes and I willed them not to fall. “Okay, it’s gonna be okay” I assured him while rubbing my hands up and down his back. “Let’s get you out of here though, huh? I have a suite at the Millennium hotel downtown. We can catch up, rent a movie, order room service. Whatever you want.” 

“I don’t know, Mia” he pulled away from me. 

“I’m not taking no for an answer. Here,” I said handing him a thick grey wool sweater from the hook by the door. 

He shrugged but I saw the small curve of a smile as he turned to shut down his xbox.


	2. Chapter Two

The drive back to the Millennium was mostly silent. Thor looked out the window intently and I wondered if he’d missed the world during his self imposed isolation. I made attempts at idle chit chat but his answers were mostly just grunts of acknowledgement. I left him alone to his thoughts and maneuvered my way through the city. 

It had been a long two years since he saved me from the destruction of Sajoren, my old home world. Evacuation efforts from other planets could only do so much and most of us were being left behind to fend for ourselves as our small world slowly collapsed in an unyielding inferno. Thor had been traveling with Quill and his team on the Benatar and they had come to help with the rescue. I was looking for my sister when Thor pulled me out of the burning house. I hated him for it at first but knew I had been only moments from death. After that I traveled with them for just over six months until we got word my sister might have been spotted on earth. So I was dropped off in Colorado to go in search of her. I’d heard Thor was dropped off a few months later but I had been deep in my hunt and couldn’t afford the distraction. One year, four months, and eleven days after landing on earth I heard from a family friend that my sister didn’t make it off our planet in time. My search was over. After a few aimless, heartbroken days, I saw an email from Rocket asking me to go look after Thor when I had time. 

In the time I was away I clung to the memories I had of him and the months we had together. He was the most honorable man I’d ever met and he took such good care of me as I recovered from the smoke inhalation and minor burns. I fell for him hard during that time. He was bright, funny, caring, and yes haunted by his past but he was working on it little by little. The sullen, disheveled man next to me was not the man I had left behind but I cared for him all the same. Who I still loved, if I was being honest with myself. Leaving him had been one of the hardest things I had done in my life but my search was only supposed to be a few weeks and the guardians had their own mission to deal with. I regretted leaving him on that ship every single day I was on earth. 

Breaking myself from the memories, I pulled into the valet queue and looked over at Thor. He was staring out the window at the tall glass building quietly wringing his hands in his lap, the fabric from the fingerless gloves he’d put on rustled loudly in the otherwise silent car. The glass shone so brightly in the late afternoon sun it was like a mirror. 

“This is it,” I said lamely “home sweet home. Until I sort things out at least.”

Thor nodded absently. 

The valet came around for my car and I lead Thor into the great lobby of the Millennium. The whole space was buzzing with rushing people, large Art Deco pieces, brightly lit boutiques, and a steady beat of indistinct music. He reached for my hand and grasped it tightly. I looked up at him and the stress was visible on his face. “Come on, we’re almost to the elevators.”

I kept him close to my side and once in the elevator I moved us to the back where he and I had our own little corner. I shifted positions and put myself between him and the crowd. He was clearly uncomfortable being around so many people. It was surreal that I was now the fiercely protective one. 

We rode up twenty three floors to my room and I didn’t let go of his hand for a second. The last of the people got off several floors before but it didn’t seem to relax him much. My suite was one of two on the top floor and I bolted for it, Thor in tow, as soon as the elevator doors opened. My keycard tapped against the door panel unlocking it and we entered the dimly lit space. 

“Hang on, let me get the lights.” I told him, finally letting go of his hand. As expected, he went back to wringing them. It was a nervous habit that most people didn’t pick up on but once you noticed, it was unmistakable. 

The lights flickered on, giving him the full view of my spectacular suite. It was a single floor layout, more of a luxury apartment than a suite but I would be here a few weeks and wanted to feel at home. Thor glanced around taking it all in, not moving from his spot at the entrance. I wished I could read his mind. I knew he had had some dark times between The Decimation and when the Avengers reassembled but everyone thought he was past them. He had regained Stormbreaker and the world was slowly returning to normal so there shouldn’t be any lingering ghosts to haunt him. Mental illness doesn’t always fight fair though. 

After awkward seconds of standing apart not speaking I motion for him to come sit on the sofa with me, “Come on, let’s find something on TV.” 

He joined me on the large white sofa, sitting so he could spread out without infringing upon my space. I clicked through channels aimlessly, not in the mood for TV but not sure what else to do. 

“I know that one.” He said finally as an old episode of Entourage came on “I very much like this Vince and his entourage men.” 

“Okay,” I set down the remote “Entourage it is.” 

Slowly throughout the episode Thor relaxed a little more. He let his sweater fall open, no longer wrapped around him protectively, and stuffed the fingerless gloves back in his pockets. By the end I was all but curled up against him. I wanted to broach the subject of his hair and clothes but didn’t want to offend and have him retreating again on me. I had thought about this reunion for so long and didn’t want to ruin it. If only we’d had more time back then. 

“Hey,” I said softly getting his attention “We can be honest right.”

He nodded, his brow furrowing. 

“I think you have a family of cats living in your hair.” I bit my lip, unable to keep a straight face. 

He saw I was teasing and his eyes twinkled “Really? Cats?” He asked playing along. 

“Yep. One just peeked out me, I think you forgot to feed it.” 

His head roared back as he laughed. God how I missed that sound. 

“Well what do you plan to do about these cats?” He asked. 

“Evict them. I have this fancy shower in that room right there” I pointed “And a whirlpool tub too.” 

He groaned “You tempt me.” 

I stood up and tugged at his hands, trying to pull him up to stand. It was futile but I tried all the same. “Come on. Let’s go.” I told him, “I’ll even get you a beer afterwards.” 

He relented “Make it tequila.” 

“Deal” I agreed, leading him to the bathroom.


	3. Chapter Three

The bathroom was spacious with a large whirlpool tub and separate spa shower stall. Both were large enough to fit four people and I was immediately thankful for the extra space. I started the water for the tub and threw in a satchel of bath salts the hotel staff had provided. Thor shed his sweater but was still dressed. I moved towards him and he stepped aside, clearly expecting me to head out. It had been too long since we had last been together and I had no intentions of leaving. 

“Let me help you,” I said pulling at the tattered hem of his shirt. 

He tensed and I stopped immediately. “Uhh... Mia” he trailed off. 

“What? It’s not like it’s the first time I’ve seen you naked. Or have you forgotten our time together already?” 

He raised his hands as he shrugged, his palms up. “I’ve changed” he said in explanation, his cheeks flushing red. 

I raised an eyebrow at him “So?” I challenged. 

“I would not fault you if you were no longer interested. It has been a long time. I am not the same man who pulled you out of that fire.” His eyes were on the floor avoiding my gaze. 

I sighed, wishing he could understand the depth of what I felt for him. “I’m not asking you to be the same. But I still want to be with you. You then, you now. It’s still you, Thor. Nothing has changed for me. Has it changed for you?”

“Nothing could ever change what I feel for you.” Hope flickered across his face and I seized the opportunity. 

“Then let’s get you in this tub.” 

This time he let me pull the shirt up and over his head. I smoothed my hands along his powerful arms, across his chest, and down his curved sides. His breathing hitched and his eyes closed. I stretched up on my tiptoes to cup his face in my hands, and pulled him down into a kiss. His lips were still the same and they crushed against mine, possessing me. A low throaty noise came out of me before I could help myself. His answer was a growl of approval that rumbled in his chest as he lifted me up until I was straddling his waist. Adjusting his grip, he held me in place by cupping my ass. My mind spun, I needed air but I needed him more. I ran my fingers through his hair like I had done so many times before but they stuck in the tangles and pulled sharply against his scalp. He pulled away with a hiss of pain and I realized we’d been side tracked from the bath he so desperately needed. 

I gave him a lopsided grin as he placed me back on the ground. “No more distractions, you. In the tub.” 

Thor chuckled, “Yes ma’am”. He pulled his sweatpants off in one quick movement and then submerged himself in the fizzing water. 

I located a hair tie on the vanity and pulled my hair to the top of my head in a large bun. Carefully I stripped out of my clothes, fully aware he was watching my every move. I would have been self conscious but he had seen me a hundred times before and I knew with certainty how much he appreciated my short yet very curvy body. When my shirt came off he caught sight of the long scar across my right side. His eyes burned with rage. “Who did this to you?” He demanded, “Tell me their name and I promise you they’ll pay with their life.” 

I shook my head “It was all me. I got a motorcycle thinking I’d learn quickly. I didn’t, I wiped out and went over an embankment. This was the worst of it. I’m fine now.” I entered the tub and walked across to him so he could better see the new scar. 

“It is a big one.” He ran his thumb over the spot several times like it was a worry stone, “Where I’m from warriors wear their scars like prizes.” It was like cloud passing over the sun as he thought of his home planet. 

I moved myself so I was curled against him with one large arm draped across my shoulders. “Thinking of Asgard?” I asked after a few quiet moments. 

He didn’t speak but I saw the fresh pain in his eyes. 

“We can talk about it later. Let’s just get you cleaned up.” 

“I don’t think these sweet crystals are working.” He commented. 

“They are. Just let me get the shampoo so I can work on all this hair.” 

“I’m not sure it’s worth it.”

“Of course it is. Unless you want to cut it.” 

“No! No, we shall not cut it. Not again. Please, do what you can.” 

“Okay, no worries. I’m sure we’ll get all the knots out.”


	4. Chapter Four

It look 45 minutes, half a bottle of shampoo and almost all of the conditioner. He was so patient with me while I worked my hands through his hair as gently as I could. With enough patience it had come loose and smoothed back to normal. 

I sat back on his lap assessing my work. His beard was now even more scraggly looking with his hair back under control. I tugged at it playfully, “What are we going to do with this thing?”

“Oh come on Mia.” He protested. 

“It’s very mountain man” 

“It’s not too bad. Reminds me of my father actually.” The distant sad look had returned. 

I conceded wanting to change topics “Okay, you win. The mountain man beard stays. We’ll just shape it up a bit later.” 

He smiled half heartedly. 

We stayed in the tub until our fingers and toes were so pruny we couldn’t stand it. The water had cooled making it less of a shock to get out but I turned on the heats lamps anyway. I tried in vain to sneak peeks at Thor while we dried off. He caught me, repeatedly. 

“Enjoying the sight of a god?” His tease was hollow sounding. 

I shook my head, my wet hair tossing around, “How could I not when the god is you?” And that was the honest answer. 

He grinned a little and resumed drying off. It wasn’t until he was finished I realized we had a clothing problem. He looked at his pile of dirty clothes as if it was a prison jumpsuit. 

“No, Thor, wait.” I had to find him new clothes. “Let me get you a robe.” The linen closet was stacked with extra towels and several sizes of fluffy white robes. I tossed him the largest I could find and grabbed a smaller one for myself. The robe mostly fit him. It was short and almost too tight but he made it work. 

“There is a shopping mall type thing downstairs: the galleria. I can run down and get you fresh clothes. Why don’t we check out the room service menu for dinner and then I’ll go and get you something after we order.” I offered. 

He nodded and I led him out to the dining room where I had the menu. I grabbed us drinks while he flipped through the menu. He looked so out of place sitting there in a robe. It was cute and made me wonder what a domesticated Thor would be like. If he even still wanted a normal life with a quaint house, a wife, a few kids. He looked up to see me standing in the doorway, drinks in hand. 

“Ahhh, that’s exactly what I need. Thank you Mia.” He said. 

“What are you getting?” I asked him. 

“Well, I like these miniature burgers, and chicken wings, and the potato skins though I don’t understand why they call it skin, and the fried pickles, and then that brownie sundae with the marshmallows.” 

“Oh” I said in disbelief. 

“What are you getting?”

“I was going to have soup.” 

Thor nodded and continued to scour the menu. 

“Here, let me order.” I took the menu from him worried he would keep adding to our already ridiculous feast. 

After calling in our meals and setting him up with another episode of Entourage I changed out of my robe and headed downstairs in search of clothing for him. I’d looked at the sizes on his clothes before heading out and hoped I could find something for him.

I searched through two useless shops before I finally came across a DXL store that catered to big & tall men’s clothing. I picked up a pair of black lounge pants, a dark grey T-shirt, underwear, and socks to get him started. I would need to convince him to come down the next day for more items. 

“I found a great shop downstairs for clothes.” I called to him as I entered the suite. 

“I’m quite fond of this robe.” He replied.

I rolled my eyes at him, “I’m sure you are but go get changed just to be sure I bought the right things.” 

He huffed but set down the bottle of tequila he’d found and complied. Returning to the living room he looked like a completely different person than when I’d found him just hours before. His golden hair shone and fell around his shoulders like waves of sunlight. He stood a little straighter in his new clothes too. 

“Hey there” I purred in appreciation. 

He blushed despite himself, “Oh really?”

“Oh yes” I pulled him for a long kiss which was interrupted by a knock on the door. “That would be our food.” 

Thor scowled, “I’d rather just have you.” He nibbled at my ear and I squirmed out of his grasp to get the door. 

“Later” I assured him.


	5. Chapter Five

We ate dinner in silence in front of the TV. Thor had moved on to a show about the wilds of Alaska and was practically in a trance as he tore through his dinner. I managed to steal a few pickles for myself from his plate but unbelievably he managed to eat all of his food. It wasn’t until he had finished that he sat back, rubbing his full stomach, and looked over at me. 

My mind was warm and buzzing from the tequila we’d shared straight from the bottle. I had wanted to keep my wits about me but every time he passed me the bottle I took a small sip until I realized it was catching up to me. I had cut myself off after that and he finished the rest of the bottle. I was just on the border of truly drunk and he was looking pretty close to it as well. It was not the time for serious conversations. Those could wait until morning. I had spent too long missing the feel of his body against mine and I was not going to waste another minute. 

I slid up onto my knees on the sofa and moved so I was straddling his lap. My legs spread wide around his thick thighs and I wavered, slightly off balance, until his strong hands grasped my waist to steady me. He watched me tentatively, waiting to see what I would do next and I wished absently that he would just sweep me off my feet and take me like he used to. I needed to be the initiator, to show him how much I had missed him and still wanted him. So I ran my hands through his silky hair and pulled him close until his lips met mine. I kissed him with a fierceness that surprised even myself, pouring all of my pent up longing and loneliness into it. Mindlessly my hips rocked against his and I felt him harden against my thigh. 

“Mia” he rasped breathlessly, “Mia slow down.”

“Mmmmph” I mumbled in frustration. 

Using his size to his advantage he pulled me back for a moment, “I want to enjoy you, darling one. It has been a while.” 

“Sorry.” I shook my head, knowing he was right. “It’s been a while for me too. I haven’t so much as looked at another man since we...” I stopped short, it was my turn to blush realizing what I had just confessed. 

He chuckled, “It pleases me beyond words to hear you say that. I have not enjoyed the company of other women in your absence and I’m afraid if you keep up like that things will be over faster than they started.” 

“From the way women tend to throw themselves at you, I wouldn’t have blamed you if you had.”

“Those women are nothing compared to you.” 

I was speechless. 

Thor ran his broad palms up my waist, then forward to cup my breasts. He trailed kisses down my throat and across my chest. The sensation lit my body on fire and my breathing quickened. Thor placed his hands under my thighs and stood up holding me in place against him. I linked my hands behind his neck to stabilize myself as he headed down the hall towards my bedroom. 

“Last door on the right” I instructed. 

Not breaking stride with his kisses he laid me down on the large bed and began pulling my clothing off. First my shirt, so he could shower my breasts with kisses, nips, and flicks of his heated tongue. Then he trailed his way down my stomach and pulled off my pants and underwear as he went. My body bucked as his teeth skimmed across my hip and he moved his hands to hold me still while his mouth dipped lower to his final stop. I grasped onto his hair as he reached down with one hand to part my lips. He made one deft stroke of his tongue against me and I was all but undone. I cried out unable to stand the exquisite torture. He smugly looked up at me without moving from his position, enjoying what he was doing to me. “I missed this” he said before diving back in to driving me wild. The relentless firm strokes and swirls of his tongue against my sensitized sex pushed me over the edge and I called out his name as I came. 

My legs were still trembling when he moved up my body, positioning himself right above me. “I would very much like to-”

I cut him off, “Get inside me. Now.” 

The wicked grin was back as he drove himself into me. His guttural moan was met by my cry and he stilled for a moment letting us catch our bearings before he started thrusting his hips rhythmically against me. I couldn’t get enough of him as he towered over me, pounding a maddening pace and pushing us both to the edge. I ran my hands across his soft chest and belly, enjoying the carnal way he slapped against me with every thrust. Grabbing on to his thick love handles I was able to push back against his thrusts. We were lost in the frenzy of the moment and I felt his one hand slip down between my thighs again. He flicked my sensitized clit with his thumb, his rhythm never wavering. “Come with me” he pleaded breathlessly. His pace intensified and electricity crackled audibly above us. I gasped, shocked and a little thrilled that I caused this reaction in him. My name was a roar from his chest as he pulsed within me. I found my own release watching his undoing and followed him over the edge of another orgasm which felt like it would me rip in two.


	6. Chapter Six

As the tidal wave of sensations subsided I clung to him, both our chests heaving as we caught our breaths. He lowered himself, now resting on his elbows, and pressed against me. I loved being pushed into the soft duvet under his weight. I reached up, pushing his hair out of his face. A shadowed expression crossed his face and I rose an eyebrow questiongly. His voice was thick with emotion when he spoke, “Please don’t leave me again.” 

My heart was crushed at his words. “Thor, never. I promise you. I’m so sorry I left you then. I should have asked you to come with me. It wasn’t until after I left that I’d realized...” I trailed off. 

“Realized what Mia?”

My nerves were steel reinforced by the tequila and sex. I looked him directly in the eyes, “That I was in love with you.” 

“Was?” 

“I was. And I still am.”

His eyes welled up and he cleared his throat before speaking, “As long as I live, I will never love another more than I love you.” 

“Thor, no tears. I love you. We’re together now.” 

“I’m not crying” he ducked his head to the side.

“Really?” 

“Okay a little” he sniffled. 

I laughed and reached up to wipe the tears from his eyes. “You feel so deeply.”

“It is my curse.” He grumbled, rolling us over so he could hold me while we laid on our sides.

“No” I insisted, “It’s not a curse at all. You just need a little help guiding yourself through all those emotions sometimes. But I’m here and I’ll help you however you need.” 

“My mother would have loved you.” 

“I wish I could have met her. I think we would have gotten along quite well.” 

“Indeed.” 

“So, you ready to talk to me?” 

“That is what we’re doing, is it not?”

“About the cottage, Thor. You were doing so well when we were on the Benatar. What happened?” 

“I don’t think it’s necessary-”

“It is. You can’t move forward unless you let go of the past, remember? You told me that.”

He sighed in exasperation, “Yes, alright fine. The mission was over and Quill’s team was splitting up, heading off to their own lives, but I had nowhere to go. My family is all dead, even Loki this time. Valkyrie is the best leader the Asgardians have seen since Odin. Asgard is gone. The Avengers have disbanded. You were off looking for your sister. And I had... nothing. So I went to the only place I could think of and just stayed. I tried at first to tidy the place up a bit but Korg & Miek were gone and it was only me. I just didn’t care. It’s exhausting sometimes being alone.” 

“Thor, you forget so easily all the good you’ve done. Not just for this world either, for the universe. I wish you could see yourself like I do.” 

“You make it easier. I’m a better man because of you.” 

“Have you given any thought to what you might like to do now? You know, like a job?” 

“I have no need of money.”

“You still need something to fill your time. Maybe volunteering?” 

“I haven’t thought of it.” 

“We can brainstorm and make a list of things for you to check out. If you want.” 

“Will it make you happy?”

“Yes. And I think it will make you happy too.”

“It’s settled then. We can make a list.”


	7. Chapter Seven

I awoke in darkness to his cry. Disoriented by the lightlessness I bolted straight up and flicked on the lamp trying to see what was wrong. Thor was asleep but his face was contorted in pain. He thrashed around in bed and continued to cry out. I tried to shake him and repeated his name a few times but he was too deep in the nightmare. “Thor!” I all but screamed at him and I jumped on top of him trying to at least pin him down to stop his thrashing. 

His eyes snapped open, confused and blazing with white hot lightning. 

“Thor, it was a nightmare. It’s okay now.” I told him. 

“Mia” my name was a liturgy on his lips and his eyes returned to normal. He pulled me against him in an embrace that squeezed the air out of me. 

“It’s okay. You’re okay.” 

He nodded and rolled us so I was underneath him. “Please, I need you.” He said hesitantly.

I nodded, caressing his face with my palm. There was so much unspoken emotion in his eyes. 

Thor reached down and guided himself inside me carefully. I moaned and arched my back at the intrusion. There was no urgency this time. It was a slow burn, languid movements, and incredible tenderness for a man his size. The build up was a lazy ascent but he made sure I reached my climax seconds before he found his own release. 

Afterwards he stayed in place, his long hair falling around us like a curtain. “All better?” I asked him. 

“Mmm definitely.” He agreed. 

“When did they come back?”

“A little while ago.” 

“How long, Thor?”

“A few days before I returned to earth. The truly bad ones are less frequent now.” 

“Are they the same as before?”

“Yes and no. You’re in them now too.”

“I’m so sorry. You know I’m okay though. I’m with you. I’m safe. I’m not going anywhere.” 

“What if I can’t protect you?” 

“Then I’ll protect us both. You don’t have exclusive saving rights you know.”

He laughed at me, “I would love to see that.” 

I stuck my tongue out at him and looked over at the clock, “It’s only 2am.” I groaned, “Do you think you can fall back asleep?” 

His answer was a long yawn.


	8. Chapter Eight

The next time I opened my eyes it was a little after 8am and Thor was still asleep making soft snoring sounds. Carefully I moved his arm off of me and slid out of the bed. I didn’t know how well he’d been sleeping if the nightmares were back and I wanted to give him all the time he needed. 

I made myself a cup of coffee and sat down with my laptop at the breakfast bar. God or not, he wasn’t above needing a little help. I knew there were places where people could go to talk but wasn’t sure what help he would need. A whole branch of therapy centers had opened in honor of Steve Rogers, funded by his numerous charities. They focused on helping soldiers return to civilian life and move on from the horrors of war. I thought this was a good start because he was, at his core, a warrior. Maybe they had some discrete therapists I could call on to make a house call for the time being. I wasn’t sure how Thor would be going out just yet. I was happy enough I got him to leave the cottage. 

I called up the closest branch of Roger’s Returning Heroes and did a little bluffing until they agreed to send a therapist out that afternoon from 3pm to 4pm to do a basic assessment. All they knew was that my friend was high ranking ex military who was exhibiting signs of severe depression and social anxiety. The receptionist said we’d have forms to fill out before treatment could start but I doubted it would be necessary once they realized who the patient was.

I was catching up on emails when I heard Thor stirring down the hall. I dug up a few sugar packets and little cups of creamer from the kitchen and poured him a cup of coffee. I had it set up on the breakfast bar next to me when he came in. His footsteps stopped and I looked up to find him in the doorway looking at me, a big smile on his face. I was obvious he’d put effort into his appearance. His hair was brushed and his beard bound in an intricate braid. He wore the clothing I’d picked up for him the night before which fit him perfectly. If I didn’t know better I would assume nothing was amiss with him. 

“Hey you” I said as I crossed the room. 

He wrapped his arms around me and I was engulfed in his warmth. “Do I smell coffee?” He asked.

“Yeah. I poured you a cup too.”

“One of the many perks of Midgard.” 

“Agreed.” 

Thor released me and I returned to my spot at the bar. He joined me and started doctoring up his coffee. 

“You have a lap computer.” He commented.

I laughed at his description, “Yes, I have a laptop. They’re quite useful.” 

“For what?”

“Well, everything. Keeping up with news, learning new things, sending emails to people, buying things, and sometimes just funny videos of animals.” 

“Show me some of these videos.” 

I exited my news and looked up a few videos. There were sleepy puppies, clumsy kittens, birds who liked to dance, and hamsters who stuffed their cheeks to no end. Thor enjoyed all of them thoroughly. 

“I understand why Migardians have animals in their homes. They are wonderful creatures.” He said as I closed the last video. 

“Some of them are quite fun. I think I’d like to have a dog someday. If I ever settle down somewhere with enough space for one. I read about their care online. It’s a lot of work.” 

“So you are staying on Midgard?” His tone tried to be casual but I caught his hesitant look. 

“I think so. It’s the most like Sajoren and I have gotten pretty used to it here. People assume I’m ‘an American’ when they meet me now which is funny. But I haven’t really settled down yet.” 

“I think this is a fine planet to settle down on.” 

“Oh really?” 

“Yes, it has everything I could want.”

“Would you stay here? Close to New Asgard?” 

“Mia, I will go where you go. I miss waking up to your face each day.” 

“Oh.” His candidness surprised me. “We’ll figure it out together then. Maybe we can look at a few places this week.” 

Thor’s stomach rumbled loudly and he rubbed it good naturedly, “Time to feed this thing. Can we order breakfast?” 

“Sure. What do you want?” 

“A Bloody Mary”

“That is not breakfast!”

“It has vegetables.”

“And alcohol. If you want to just sit around drunk all day long you can do that back at your cottage. Here we have stuff to do.” 

“Back in Asgard it was commonplace to enjoy libations with meals.” 

“I’ll get you a beer with lunch, okay? For now, get some more coffee and let me know what you want to eat for breakfast.” 

“Alright. Alright. Get me some of those breakfast cakes please. And bacon.” 

“Pancakes and bacon. Got it.” 

I called down an order while he got himself more coffee and I made sure to get enough to satisfy his god sized appetite. 

“Half an hour.” I told him after hanging up. 

“I can think of ways to wait.” He said wrapping his arms around me from behind. He kissed the side of my neck and I shivered. 

“That will take much longer than half an hour.” I teased, “You’re insatiable.”

“Mmm. Indeed I am. Do you enjoy it?” 

“Yes. But we don’t have time right now. Come out on the balcony with me. We can enjoy some fresh air.” 

He groaned but followed me out on to the balcony. The city was bustling below and all around us. I noticed Thor scowling at the thriving city. 

“What’s the matter?” I asked.

“There is nothing really alive here.” He commented.

“How so? There are millions of people in this city.”

“Yes but how many trees? How many rivers? In Asgard the cities were built around the mountains and lakes. Here the cities extinguish them.” 

“There are places like that here on earth. You just have to drive outside the city for a bit. You should see some of the mountains and lakes here, they’re breathtaking.” 

“I would like to see them someday.”

“We can go. But how about we start with just getting you downstairs to buy clothes?” 

“You say that like I’m an invalid.” Thor grumbled but started shifting uncomfortably.

“Thor, how long were you cooped up in that cottage alone?” I tried to keep my tone gentle.

“It was not nearly as long as the time before.”

“Based on when Rocket said he dropped you off it’s been over a year. How many times did you leave once you got there?”

“Well there was no need to leave. Everything I needed was brought to me.”

“Did you have any visitors who came to see you, not just drop things off?”

“Yes, I did”

“Who?”

“You” he conceded. 

I sighed heavily, “Thor, you isolated yourself. And you were agitated last night just coming up to my room. We need to work on that so you can go out and see all the things you want to here on Earth.” 

“I’ll be fine. Really I will.”

“Okay. Then we’ll go get some clothes after breakfast and take a walk around for a bit.”

I was glad the therapist was coming that afternoon. I had a feeling we were going to need them after Thor’s outing. It would be wonderful if I was misreading things and he was fine going back out into the world but I couldn’t be certain until he tried.


	9. Chapter Nine

We had breakfast out on the balcony once it arrived. The sun was warm and I enjoyed being out in it. It was blissfully normal starting my day with him like we used to. When I went to brush my teeth I realized Thor didn’t have anything here for him. I loaned him my toothbrush and hair brush but promised to get him his own things from the galleria downstairs. 

Thor stopped to put on his sweater and fingerless gloves as we were heading out. 

“We’re only headed downstairs.” I reminded him. 

“I know.” He replied wrapping the sweater tightly around himself. 

I wanted to say something but the anxious expression on his face kept me silent. It was like putting on armor before a battle, he needed the extra protection between him and the outside world. My heart broke as I realized this and I took his hand in mine as we left the suite hoping the contact would give him some small comfort. 

Thor seemed fine as we headed down and while he tensed a bit as people joined the elevator every few floors he wasn’t overly agitated. “I can do this.” He assured me, squeezing my hand.

Finally we reached the lobby, the wide metal doors opened, and everyone exited the elevator. I noticed he’d dropped my hand but thought he was right behind me. I was several steps away when I realized he wasn’t. I spun around to see him still in the elevator, frozen in place. I raced back just before the doors closed. The elevator started moving heading back up to our floor. 

“You okay?” I asked him patiently.

“Of course! I was just thinking we might have left the coffee machine on back in the room. I should run back and turn it off.” He said with fake cheerfulness.

“Uh huh. I turned it off after we washed dishes so it’s fine. We can go now.”

His face set in concentration as he tried to think of another excuse. 

“Let’s do this,” I offered, “We go get you an outfit or two and see how you feel. If you’re okay we can go get you toiletries. And then if you’re still doing okay we can stop for Starbucks before heading back upstairs. If at any point it’s too much we’ll drop everything and leave. You say the word and we’re outta there. Okay?”

“You deserve so much more than me.” He voice sounded so defeated.

“Absolutely not.” I shook my head and held on to both his hands tightly not letting him avoid my eyes, “Thor, you are amazing. I could shout your praises from the rooftop for a week without stopping. You are brave, strong, kind, loving, protective, funny, sweet, handsome, I could go on and on. You are literally a god. I know you are having trouble seeing all that right now but we’re going to work on that. This is just a rough patch, not the rest of your life. You fought back and overcame it once and you’ll do it again. And I’ll be right here the whole time.”

“How can you-“ he tried to interrupt. 

“Because I love you. Forever.”

A genuine smile crossed his face, “I love you forever as well.” 

“Ready to go now?”

“I will try. But don’t let go.”

I nodded and hit the button to return us to the lobby. We made a straight path to the shop I’d found the night before. Thor was looking around nervously but he didn’t let go of my hand. 

Shopping for him was easier than I expected. He liked soft linens for pants and shirts as well as thin cotton T-shirts. With summer being only a month away most of what he wanted was easy to find. He was disappointed there were no sweatpants and hoodies but he made do with what they had. Thor gravitated to neutral colors which didn’t surprise me and he ended up with half a dozen pants, numerous shirts, two summer weight sweaters, and lots of soft, silken boxer briefs. The only thing he wouldn’t be talked into was shoes, insisting he was happy with his sandals. He carried the four huge shopping bags with ease and still managed to hold my hand. 

“Ready for the next stop?” I asked him.

“I think so” he said sincerely.

“Okay, the shop is back the way we came.”


	10. Chapter Ten

The isles in the pharmacy were tight and I saw Thor tensing as he tried not to knock anything over. I hurried the best I could to grab him the basics. Once he got started however we ended up buying over a dozen different things. I was surprised by how interested he was in toiletries once he started looking around. He was going to monopolize the bathroom with his stuff at this rate. 

“You promised Starbucks.” He reminded me as we checked out. 

“Yes, I did. You still good?” I asked. 

“I’m tired. But I want Starbucks.” 

“Okay, let’s see how long the line is.” 

We were in luck and only two people were in line when we walked up. It gave us time to check out the menu with their new pre release summer drinks. The barista was a bored looking girl dressed in black with matching nails. “Hi. What can I get you?” She said monotonically.

“I’ll have a grande cold brew please.” I said. 

“Name?”

“Mia”

“And for you?” She asked Thor.

“I will have a venti s’mores Frappuccino please” his smile was infectious. I remembered he had told me about Starbucks when we were on the Benatar and while I enjoyed it since landing on Earth, Thor’s love of Starbucks was deep. 

“Name?” The barista asked.

“Thor.” 

The barista pursed her lips in annoyance and looked up for the first time since we stepped up to the counter. I felt for the poor girl, I really did, but I had to bite the inside of my cheeks to stop myself from cracking up. There was Thor, as happy as he could be to get his drink and looking absolutely radiant. No one stood a chance when he was beaming with his megawatt smile, not even the bored barista. The poor girl dropped her pen, scrambled for a new one, and shakily wrote his name on the large clear cup. “D-d-drink’s on the house.” She stammered.

“Oh, no, she has Midgard money.” He said growing uncomfortable with the attention.

“Thor, sweetheart, just say thank you. Come on. Let’s wait by the pick up bar.” I pulled at his elbow trying to steer him away before more people paid attention. 

Thor shrugged and thanked her for the drinks. The poor stunned girl then thanked him. The whole situation was amusing as hell but I really needed to be sure Thor wasn’t sought out by more “fans”. He would be running back to the room at lightning speed if that happened. I pulled him against me in a corner by the pick up bar so his back was facing the crowd. Our drinks were handed off a moment later by another equally star struck barista. I thanked the girl for our drinks and we headed for the elevator.


	11. Chapter Eleven

Once back in our room I allowed myself to laugh. Thor turned to look at me quizzically while taking off his sweater and gloves, “What is so funny?” 

I took a breath to calm my laughter, “That poor girls face. I thought she was going to faint. The effect you have on females is just priceless.” 

His shoulders slumped as he shifted his weight, “They are only admiring what they think they see.” 

“I think they’re seeing you just fine. It’s you that needs stop focusing on the bad things.” 

Thor grunted dismissively. 

“Seriously. I’m looking at you right now and you’re wonderful inside and out.” 

Thor’s cheeks reddened and I walked over to wrap my arms around him. “I love you” he mumbled into my hair. 

“Love you too.” 

His yawn was so loud and deep it made me think of Chewbacca. “Are you part Wookiee now?” I joked. 

“What is a Wookiee?” He asked, confused. 

“What? A Wookiee. Like Chewbacca. Star Wars?”

“What are all these things? And why are you looking at me like that?” 

“How have you spent this much time on Earth and not watched Star Wars? I saw them all in my first month here! Hold on. You’re watching them.” I grabbed the remote, brought up pay per view, and rented Episode IV. “Sit down, watch this. I’ll put everything away and then join you.” I pushed him towards the sofa. 

“So demanding” he laughed. 

I put away some of his pants and shirts in the closet next to mine then moved around my clothes in the dresser to make from for the rest of his things. The bathroom was tight on space once I unloaded everything he’d picked up but I made it work. I smiled looking around at all our stuff. He had effectively moved in and I was enjoying the idea that it was most likely permanent. I would have to look for a place with him now, not just on my own. 

“You’re all moved in now.” I told him as I joined him on the sofa. He grabbed me by the waist and pulled me down so my butt was on the sofa but my legs were across his lap and he was cradling me with his arm. It was comfortable and warm so I snuggled in contentedly. He handed me my drink from the coffee table and smoothed my hair back with his hand. I must have been beaming like an idiot because he chuckled and kissed me on the forehead. We stayed curled up together as Luke found Obi Wan, captained the Millennium Falcon, saved Princess Leia, and battled Darth Vader. The movie ended and Thor looked disappointed, “The story continues, yes?”

“There are several movies. Six in the original series and then a few that were released in the past few years.”

“Wonderful! Can we watch all of them?” 

“Sure. Not all today, but we can fit in a few movies a day ‘til you catch up.” 

“What we will do now then?” 

“We have about two hours until you your appointment so we could go trim up this beard and get lunch if you want to.”

“My appointment?” 

“Ah crap. I forgot. Don’t be mad.”

“Why would I be mad?”

“Well, I think you need to talk to someone. About what drove you to that cottage. Not just this time either. I worry that if you don’t talk about things and really let yourself heal and move on that it’s just a matter of time until you hit another rough patch. I don’t want that for you.”

“I talk to you. And I’m fine. I went shopping, got my Starbucks. You know it was just a minor setback this time.”

“It’s just a quick visit to see if you might need someone to talk to. Other than just me. And if I’m wrong and the therapist agrees with you then you’ll never have to see them again. I really would feel better if you met with them just this once.”

“I will do it only for you.” 

“I appreciate it. I want a life with you Thor, I really do. But I worry that your past will ruin our chance at a future if you don’t face it.” 

“Nothing can stop our future together. I am yours as long as you’ll have me. I vow it to you.” He took both of my hands in his and continued, “I pledge to you the first bite of my meat and the first drink of my cup. I pledge to you my living and dying, both are in your care. I shall be a shield to your back and you to mine. I shall honor you above all others...” his voiced choked up and though I didn’t know the origin of the words I could feel the weight behind them.

“Hey,” I pulled myself up so that I surrounded him in a full body hug. “Hey now. I love you so much. That was beautiful. What’s it from?” 

“It’s from the vows we say in Asgardian weddings. It’s always been my favorite part.”

“Wedding vows. Wow. They’re lovely.”

“It just felt right.”

“Really?”

“Of course. One day we’ll gather our friends and stand before them saying the vows I’ve heard a hundred times but never expected to say myself. You’ll have beautiful flowers all through your hair and I’ll give you my dagger to keep safe for our sons. Or daughters I suppose. And-“

“Whoa there big guy. You’re forgetting something.”

“Well Asgardian weddings take forever to plan so surely we have more to discuss.”

“Slow down. Before all that. Typically you have to ask a girl to marry you and get a yes from her before you start planning the wedding.” 

Thor opened his mouth. Closed it. Opened it again. And closed it. The reality of his daydreaming had sunk in. “I never meant to... I just...”

“Oh come on now. You know what my answer will be. Please, ask me now.”

“I don’t have a ring. It’s the middle of the day and we’re on the sofa.” 

“So? You’re here. I’m here. You’ve practically planned out our whole wedding. Why not now?”

“Alright then. Mia Kyalan, love of my life, my sun and stars, will you marry me?” 

“Yes, I will.” 

I had never seen him smile that brightly as he pulled me back into an embrace and began kissing me fiercely. I let myself get lost in that moment of pure joy, not worrying about anything other than that the man I loved had just asked me to be his wife. I moved my hips against his as our passion built. Not wanting to stop but realizing where things were headed I stood up and quickly pulled off my jeans. Thor took the moment to pull off his pants as well and when I climbed back onto his lap I moved so that he slipped tightly inside me while I straddled his lap. I braced myself on his massive shoulders while I moved up and down on top him. He pulled my shirt and bra off with deft motions and I tugged at his shirt collar until he leaned forward and pulled his shirt off too. I continued riding him, my hips rolling against him rhythmically driving both of us wild. His broad palms explored my naked body and I arched below his touch. My body was electrified and I gripped my nails into his shoulders. I quickened my pace, unwilling to prolong our pleasure but instead sending us racing towards our releases. Thor had one hand massaging my breast, the other dipped low right by our union, rolling two large fingers across my clit in rhythm with my undulations. I climaxed with a scream I couldn’t hold back and he followed quickly after with a loud bark of his own. I sagged against him, spent. 

Our sweaty bodies were breathing heavily and roasting hot. “Whoa” was all I could say. Thor chuckled, pleased. “Come, it’s my turn to wash you.” He said standing up with me in his arms. He carried me carefully to the bathroom and placed me down in the shower stall. I played with the water temperature and jet settings while Thor gathered our shampoos, conditioners, and body washes. He came back in with his arms full of supplies just as I got all ten jets and the top three waterfall shower heads going. It was a tropical paradise in that shower and I never wanted to leave. Thor was true to his word and washed my hair for me. He also offered to wash the rest of me but I declined knowing where that would lead and we were running short on time.


	12. Chapter Twelve

Once we were both clean and well relaxed from the luxurious shower we dried off and redressed. Thor took the opportunity to wear some of the clothes he’d picked out himself and I grinned at the sight of him. He was wearing beige linen pants, a white jersey cotton shirt, no shoes, and his long wet hair was falling loose around him. He looked exactly as one would expect a modern Viking god to look as he stared into the bathroom mirror intent on taking care of his beard. He was trying to trim and shape it so it was less wild looking. I had to give him credit, it was coming along nicely. 

I placed my hand on his arm to get his attention without startling him, “Hey. I was going make a quick lunch. We only have about half an hour. Do you want a sandwich?” 

“Mmm yes please.” He stopped to give me a quick smile, “And a beer. And chips if we have them.” 

“Okay. I’ll see what I can find.”

I threw together two turkey sandwiches, piling his high with meat, and found an unopened bag of kettle chips in the cupboard. I pulled out a bottle of the Sierra Nevada pale ale from the fridge hoping it was a kind he liked. 

“This is wonderful. Thank you, my love.” Thor said sitting down at the table. He had thrown on his new burgundy sweater and I suspected he was more nervous about his appointment than he was letting on. It was a perfect 72 in the suite so I knew he wasn’t wearing it because he was cold. 

“You’re welcome.” I smiled back at him taking a moment to check out his newly trimmed beard. It was still full but it was shaped and appeared softer. “I like what you’ve done with your beard.”

“Oh yes. It feels better now too. My father had one like this when I was a boy. Back home beards were a sign of a grown man. I remember thinking I would have one like his one day once I had matured.” He fell silent after that and took a few long pulls of his beer finishing the bottle quickly.

“I think that’s sweet.” I said finally, “It’s good you keep memories like that alive. Even if they’re painful now, you don’t want to lose them.” 

Thor nodded but didn’t speak. 

I had almost finished my sandwich when we heard a knock on the door. Checking my watch I realized it was 3pm and time for Thor’s appointment. I opened the door not knowing what to expect and found a tall, slim woman in a crisp grey suit standing in the hall. 

“Mia?” She asked, her voice like rich velvet. 

“Yes,” I shook her hand and stepped aside. 

“I’m Doctor Grant.”

“Thank you so much for coming. Please, come in. The living room is right through here.” 

“Thank you. Is the patient here now?”

“Yes, he’s in the kitchen. If you’d like to have a seat on the sofa I’ll go get him.”

“Okay, thank you.”

“Can I get you something to drink?”

“No I’m fine, thanks.”

“Okay, I’ll be right back.” I hurried to the kitchen hoping Thor was in there and not plotting an escape. 

I found him holding onto the counter top, bracing himself. His worried eyes made me momentarily feel guilty for making him do this. “The therapist is here. Remember she’s just doing an assessment today. It’s no big deal.” I told him as I rubbed circles across his broad shoulders. 

“Please don’t leave.” He asked quietly. 

“I won’t. I’m right here. Let’s go introduce you to her.” 

He wrapped his sweater around himself tightly and took hold of my hand before heading into the living room. Doctor Grant’s eyes widened almost imperceptibly and then she resumed her calm, placid expression. “Hello, I’m Doctor Grant” she said pleasantly while shaking his hand. “Are you comfortable sitting in here to talk?” 

“Hello. Yes, this is fine I suppose.” He replied. 

“Great. Well, I see now the need for discretion and a house call. I appreciate you reaching out to us Mia, I’m sure it wasn’t an easy decision.” 

I smiled briefly and nodded once. 

Dr. Grant started piling her papers back into her briefcase, keeping out only her leather bound notebook and silver pen “Typically we have a whole host of medical history and new patient intake forms but we can skip those given the circumstances. Why don’t we just get acquainted and see if I can be any help to you.”

“Okay” Thor agreed. 

“Normally sessions are private. Sometimes things come up that are difficult to talk about, even with loved ones. Are you comfortable with having a private session or would you rather Mia stay?” 

Thor glanced over at me hesitantly, “I don’t know what would come up but maybe? If I want you to come back in I can just call for you, right?” 

I was so glad he was willing to try, “Of course. I won’t be far. I can take my laptop down to the office and catch up on a few things.” 

“Thank you for trying, Thor.” Dr. Grant said “Now, let’s talk about what brought us here today.”


	13. Chapter Thirteen

The hour long meeting lasted almost two hours and I was shocked by the time I heard my name being called. I hurried down the hall anxious to see how things went. Thor was hugging Doctor Grant as I walked into the living room. I didn’t miss the fact that his sweater was off, discarded next to where he had been sitting. His eyes were red rimmed and his cheeks were pink but he had a genuine smile on his face and he was thanking the doctor for her time. 

“We had a great session today.” She said to me, “We made plans to meet again next week, I can come here again. Same day and time work for you?” 

I nodded, “Yes, that’s fine. Whatever he wants to do.” 

Thor wrapped an arm around my shoulders “It’s settled then. I’ll see you next week doc.” 

“I’ll see you then.” The doctor agreed. 

Thor showed her out and I sat on the sofa waiting to hear about the session. 

“How did it go?” I asked when he returned. 

“Well, really well” he told me, “We talked about a lot of stuff from the past few years, and the last decade actually. She’s helping me piece through the things that built up to what’s happened so that I can find new ways to react to them. We’re going to work on better coping mechanisms too.” Thor sat down next to me and took my hands in his. “She thinks I have anxiety, like my mother did. She said it can be hereditary and it would have been a factor in what brings on my depression.” 

“Wow. You two covered a lot of ground.”

“We did. I need you to know that I’m going to work on this. I’m going to see the doc once a week for now until we get me to a better place. But even if everything seems fixed I’m always going to be at risk for this. It’s not something they can cure. Can you handle that?” 

“Of course I can. How could I not? There are no deal breakers for me, Thor. I love you unconditionally.” 

“Thank you. Thank you for loving me as I am. I promise I’ll work to be worthy of you every day.” 

“You already are.” I assured him giving his hands a squeeze. 

Thor smiled bright as the sun and I was thankful I’d pushed him to see the therapist.

“Now, I’m exhausted. I never knew talking could be that tiring. Can we just be lazy and watch Star Wars for the rest of the day?” 

“Of course. Let’s rent episode five now and then see how far we get tonight. We’ll have a movie marathon. Oh, and so you know, I contacted a realtor who specializes in rural homes. Mostly farms and homesteads but some luxury estates too. He has time the day after tomorrow to show us a few places if we want. I told him I’d email him tonight with our list of ‘wants’ and ‘needs’.”

“What is realtor? And what do we want or need?”

“A realtor is a person who helps you pick out a house to buy. You tell them what you need the house to have and what things you want but wouldn’t hate it without and then they show you places.” 

“Can we watch the movie first? I don’t think I have enough brain power right now. But I will buy you whatever house you want, and soon. Promise.” 

“We’ll find a place we both love. But it can wait. Let’s watch the empire strikes back.” I clicked on the movie and curled up with him to enjoy a few hours of mindless entertainment.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

“But why would they start with four if they were just going to go back to one?” Thor asked exasperatedly as episode six ended. 

“I don’t know. But it works well watching it in release order, trust me.” I assured him. I stood up to stretch. I was stiff after sitting on my butt for four hours with only a quick break to order dinner in between movies. Thor was comfortably sprawled out and showed no intention of moving. 

“Come on, you.” I motioned for him to follow me. “I’ll grab my laptop and we can make the list for the realtor.” 

“Alright but only if we can make the list in bed. I feel like I need a month of sleep after today.” He grumbled.

“Fine by me. I’ll meet you in there.” 

I walked in to find him lying across the bed, his head propped up on his hands, completely naked. I couldn’t stifle my laughter. “This is not going to be productive.” I scolded him lightly. 

Thor tried to look innocent, “I was just getting comfortable.” 

“Uh huh. Sure. Move over. We’re making this list tonight if it kills me.” 

“Okay, Okay, Okay.” He rolled onto his side making space for me. 

“So, when you think about us getting a house what’s the one thing you need it to be or have?” 

“You”

“Other than me. I’m a given. What was your house like growing up?”

“I don’t want our house to be anything like that place. It was enormous and hollow. I spent my childhood dreaming of things I knew I could never have and fighting with a brother I thought hated me. I want our home to be warm and comfortable.”

“Okay, we can do that. So let’s think of specific things we can tell the realtor.” 

“Not in the city.”

“Yep. Got that one. Something out in the country, with a lot of land if possible. Something that is sympathetic to the landscape. How many bedrooms do you think we’ll need? Will you want your own office?”

“I don’t need an office but maybe a library. And let’s have lots of bedrooms. Just in case.”

“In case of what?”

“Incase we are blessed with many children. My parents were not but I would like think we will be more fortunate.”

“You never do things in the right order. You’re planning out a whole brood of children over there before asking if I even want any.” 

Thor looked stricken. 

“Oh no! I was kidding. Of course I want children. We talked about this one night on the Benatar, remember? I said I wanted to have two little girls someday just like my sister and I.” 

Thor blew out the breath he’d been holding in. “I want many children with you. You will be the most perfect mother. And I will never end up like my father. Our children will be permitted to follow their dreams regardless of what it is” 

“You will be a wonderful father, I’m sure of it. We’ll have as many children as we can handle. I like the idea of a bunch of little golden haired kids running around.” 

“Or redheads like their mother. You never know.” 

“We’ll just have to see. But first we need a home for these theoretical children. So, let’s plan on four bedrooms minimum. I’m adding the library in there too. I would like an office for myself. Space for a garden near the house.” 

“How long do you think it’ll take to find a place?”

“I don’t know. We’re not overly picky and there are a lot of larger homes upstate. Oh, how far are you willing to be from New Asgard?”

“We don’t have to worry about the community. Valkyrie is doing a fine job.”

“You might not want to visit now, but they are still your people. Eventually you may want to go see them. Especially when we have children who want to know their heritage.” 

“Let’s stay within two hours then. Just in case.” 

“Okay. And last thing, do we have a budget?”

“A budget?”

“Money, Thor. How much money are you willing to spend. I have a bit stashed away for a downpayment but we’ll still need a mortgage which we’ll have to pay every month.”

“Oh. No, I will pay for the house. Valkyrie set me up with this little plastic card with all my money in it.”

“Thor, sweetheart, a house like we want is going to cost close to a million dollars. If not more.” 

“Yes, that’s fine. We will use the plastic card. I have plenty.” 

“I love you, but I’m calling Valkyrie about that card before we try buying anything with it. Where’s your phone?”

“I do not have a phone.” 

“Seriously Thor? Still?”

“What do I need one for?”

“For things like this Thor! We’re getting you a phone. How about this, where’s your card?”

“I did not bring anything with me. I think I know where I left it back at the cottage.” 

“You can’t just leave something like that lying around. People could steal it. Don’t you have a wallet?”

“I haven’t needed one. And no one will steal a tiny piece of plastic.” 

“Yes, they will. It happens all the time. And you’re getting wallet. And we’re going to SHIELD to get you an ID card. They helped me get one when I arrived. You’ll need one when we buy a house.” 

“Tomorrow is going to be very busy, isn’t it?” 

“Yes it will be. But we’ll get through it. Now let me send the email and we can go to sleep.”


	15. Chapter Fifteen

By 8am the next morning I was pushing Thor out the door of the suite. He was tired and cranky but I lured him with Starbucks and as little human interaction as possible. His spirits lifted once he had a Frappuccino and we got on the road headed to New Asgard. We were only thirty five minutes outside the small seaside community and he had finished off the last of our breakfast treats as I pulled in to the main drive. 

“Let’s get a few things from your cottage before we meet up with Valkyrie.” I told him.

Thor was apprehensive at the mention of the cottage, “I don’t know how I feel going back in there.”

“I can run in solo if you want. Just let me know what I should grab.” 

“Do you mind?”

“Not at all. What am I grabbing?”

“My Xbox things. My clothes and my pair of Crocs. There’s a weapons cache in the bedroom closet. Umm... I’m going to have to go in. There are two things you won’t be able to carry.”

“I’m stronger than I look you know.”

“No, it’s not that my love. I am the only one who can wield them.” 

“Oh. They’re here?” 

“Yes. And I should take them with us. I don’t expect to come back.”

“Okay. We have plenty of space in the car, if we need to we can lay the back seats down to make more room too. Let’s go up and see what all we need to load up.”

Thor trailed two steps behind me the whole way up to the cottage. When we arrived at the door I grabbed his hand in mine for support. “It’s just a place. It has no power over you.” I told him. 

He nodded brusquely and we entered the small cottage. 

The cottage was the same as before but Thor looked around like it was boobytrapped. He followed me down the hall to the living room where I started unplugging his xbox. I found a few wooden beer crates and started packing things into them. Thor stood looking around, unsure what to do. “Why don’t you go grab your weapons and any clothes you want to keep?” I suggested. 

“Yeah, good idea.” He headed to the bedroom and returned a little while later with one arm full of hoodies and sweatpants, the other holding a large black bag stuffed full of his weapons collection. I was finishing up in the living room so he started searching for his debit card. Thankfully he found it in the kitchen drawer quickly and then started loading things down to the car. 

I was packing the last crate into the trunk when I realized I hadn’t seen him grab Stormbreaker or Mjolnir. I hiked back up to the cottage to find Thor standing in the living room looking around. “What about your other weapons, Thor?” 

He looked at me nervously. 

“It’s okay. You got this.” I assured him.

I followed him into the bedroom and found Mjolnir and Stormbreaker propped up in the back of the closet. He grasped both of their handles and paused to take a deep breath. On his exhale he lifted both and the relief in his expression was clear. 

“It had been a while.” He said letting out another deep breath. 

I gave him a congratulatory kiss, “I knew you would be fine.”

“Thanks love. Let’s get going though. Valkyrie will be pissed we’re late.” He warned.

Thor was right, Valkyrie looked pissed as we entered her office but her expression softened as soon as she laid eyes on him. She jumped up from her seat and came around the desk to welcome him with a hearty handshake, “Welcome back to the living.” She teased.

“Yes, I’m back. But I’m not staying here so don’t start making plans.” He joked back.

“And who is this?” Valkyrie’s shrewd stare lingered over me questioningly.

“This is Mia. She’s the reason I left that deplorable shack and am here today.”

“I’m quite impressed. Our boy here doesn’t like being told what to do.”

I liked her immediately. It was easy to see she genuine cared about him, like a sibling would. “I don’t know. He’s pretty agreeable for me.” I said with a smirk. 

Valkyrie laughed loudly, “I’m sure he is. You must be a remarkable woman. We should spend some time together soon. Now, please sit. Thor, you said you needed to talk about your finances?” 

“Yes, Mia and I are buying a house. I told her you gave me a little plastic card and I would pay for it. She does not believe me that I can buy her a house.” He gave me a pointed side eyed looked.

“Thor, you can’t just buy a house with that card.” She explained patiently as if speaking to a small child.

“Well then what in the nine realms is it for? You said to use it to buy what I need. I need to buy us a house. You said I didn’t have to worry about the money on it. So what’s the problem?” 

Valkyrie shook her head in exasperation, “The money is not the problem. Go buy a dozen houses for all I care. But you cannot buy something that large with a card. You’ll need a bank check. I’ll write down the information for the bank we use in New York and in Switzerland. You will have to learn how to manage your money to move it around as you need. Mia, I’m assuming you know how banks work and how to manage things?”

“Yes, I handle my own money. Have for a long time now both back on Sajoren and then here on earth. But you’re saying he’s fine to just buy a home? We’re looking at pretty expensive places.” I didn’t want to insult his pride further but I wondered if she understood we weren’t just buying a townhouse in the suburbs. 

“Mia, he was heir to the throne on Asgard. Royalty. Thor is a billionaire in Midgard currency though the big oaf doesn’t seem to know it. We moved the funds over with SHIELD’s help when we settled here. Thor has barely spent a thing so it’s all been sitting growing interest.” 

I’m sure my eyes were huge. I knew he didn’t think much about money but this explained why. He had never needed to and never would. “Wow.” I said still in shock.

“This is good, yes?” Thor asked trying to read my expression.

“Yes, this is good. You are able to buy us a house. A very nice house.”

“Now you believe me. Good. I told you before I will take care of you.”

“I know you will, regardless of your bank account.” 

Valkyrie handed me a sheet of paper with the banking information written down and her phone number at the top as well as a passport booklet. “You’ll need your passport to access the money. SHIELD sent them over ages ago but someone didn’t bother coming in to get his. Call me if you have questions or need anything. I really am so happy for the two of you. We must get together soon.”

“We’ll have you over once we move, if not sooner.” I offered. 

“I look forward to it.” Valkyrie showed us out and headed to my car. 

“Ready to go shopping again today?” I asked him. 

“No but I don’t think I have a choice.” He complained mildly.

“Nope. You need a phone. And a wallet. But on the bright side you don’t have to go visit SHIELD for your ID now.”   
“I still don’t think I need a phone.”  
“You can play Fortnite on it from anywhere.”  
“Oh. What a wonderful device. Let’s go buy a phone.”   
I laughed at his change of heart and headed for the nearest AT&T store. 

By the time we returned to the suite Thor had spent several thousand dollars and was quite proud of himself. I was going to have to help him reign things in so he didn’t think he could do that all the time but really, technically he could. Not only was Thor added to my phone plan but he had a brand new iPhone+ and insisted on buying me a matching one because he fell for the salesman’s pitch that it was so much better than the older model iPhone I’d been able to afford the previous year. He gleefully informed me I would be able to play Fortnite with him on my new phone. 

I loved seeing him so interested in something and let him have his fun. He even found a case that had a wallet built in which got him out of going to another store. Thor was very pleased we had avoided all the other stops and insisted on buying us lunch on the way back. We didn’t bother unloading the car back at the Millennium though I was surprised he didn’t want his Xbox back. Apparently playing on his phone was just as much fun for the time being. 

We were sitting on the balcony enjoying the last of our Chinese food when my new phone pinged with an email. The realtor had sent over a list of a dozen houses he felt might work and we had it to narrow the list down for the next day. I brought my laptop out to the balcony and we started scrolling through the listings. I expected Thor to be the overly enthusiastic one but he was reserved as we read the descriptions and scrolled through pictures. He was extremely critical to the point where I thought we wouldn’t find a single one but on the seventh house his eyes lit up. 

“Beau Terre Farm. That’s the one.” He said confidently. 

“Well, we have to see it first.” I reminded him. “It’s a lot more expensive than we were planning on too. But it’s definitely the closest to what we wanted.” 

“I’m buying the house, stop worrying about prices. It is everything we wanted. This will be the one. I’m certain of it.” 

“Thor, look though. The horses are being sold with the property. We’ve never had horses before. It wouldn’t be fair to them if we didn’t know how to care for them.”

Thor scoffed, “I was quite fond of horses as a boy. And it says the stables staff is willing to stay on if possible. We’ll be fine. Look at them, they’re beautiful. It’s a real farm, you could have a big garden like you wanted.”

“Maybe.” 

We scrolled through the listing again and it did seem perfect. It was a hundred acre horse farm about ninety minutes upstate from New Asgard. There was a twenty stall barn currently housing fourteen horses with two other multi use barns on the property and a main house. The main house was a massive farmhouse style home with a wrap around porch and six bedrooms. It was originally designed to be a destination B&B for people who wanted to vacation at a working farm. The land itself was stunning with a ridge of mountains in the background and acres of rolling hills. There was a stream that ran through the north end of the property and fed into a large pond. I could easily see myself living there but I worried it wouldn’t be as impressive in person. It was just too good to be true. 

In the end we gave the okay on three properties to visit but requested we start with Beau Terre.


	16. Chapter Sixteen

The drive out to Beau Terre the next morning seemed to take forever. I tried to convince Thor to not get his hopes up but it was useless. He’d spent a better part of the previous night Googling on his new phone about the history of Beau Terre, how to care for horses, how to run a farm, gardening, everything that popped into his mind. He proceeded to share all these new facts with me during the hour long drive north. 

The turn off onto Beau Terre Lane was almost indistinguishable but I slowed down just in time thanks to the GPS. The narrow lane wound its way through the woods and across the rolling hills to the main driveway. There were several off shoots along the way to various pastures which would make getting around the property much easier until we became more familiar with it.

The main driveway was wide enough for at least a dozen cars and the gravel crunched under my tires as we parked near the house. I had to admit, it was an idyllic location. The main house was towards the back of the property so it felt extremely secluded being this far off of a main road. The quietness was astonishing.

The realtor was already there and came out to greet us. He was a lanky middle aged man with a too deep tan and overly whitened teeth. He extended his hand to shake as he introduced himself, “Hi, I’m Ken Chambers. Thanks for setting aside time to look at a few places this today.” 

“Thanks Ken. I’m Mia and this is Thor. We’re really looking forward to seeing them. This place seems like a fantastic start.” I told him. 

Thor shook the man's hand but had no input other than a quick hello. If Ken was surprised that Thor was the actual god of thunder himself he did a great job of remaining unphased. I appreciated the lack of a starstruck reaction, it would make Thor more comfortable for sure. 

“I noticed you had this place at the top of your list so I arranged for the current caretaker to give us a tour of the property if you would like to see it if after looking at the main house.” Ken continued. 

“Yes, that would be great.” I agreed.

Ken walked us through the large house which was more stunning in person than online. The living area was spacious with large windows and had an attached library area/ sunroom. The kitchen was incredible and had top of the line appliances and equipment. Every room was better than the last as we made our way through the first floor. 

The second floor was entirely bedrooms and bathrooms. The largest suite had its own sitting area and a private bathroom complete with a whirlpool tub. Thor’s eyes lit up at the sight of the large tub. Only one other room had its own bath, at the end of the hall. The other four had shared bathrooms, one in between two rooms on each side of the hall. 

The third floor had angled ceilings but beautiful windows overseeing the property. The largest section was just empty storage space but the small front room with the windows was being used as a office space. I loved how the desk was set up so you could look out at the backyard while working.

We slowly made our way back down stairs to the first floor and I struggled to find a single complaint with the house. It was a tad bit large but if we had kids, it would be just right. Ken and Thor headed to the basement while I did another walk through the kitchen. I had never been much of a cook but the kitchen inspired me to try.

Thor came up first with a jar in hand. “They have their own preserved foods. Look, cinnamon apples.” He said handing me the jar. 

“That’s nice.” I set the jar on the counter. 

“What do you think of this place? Do you feel it?” 

“Feel what?” 

“Home.” he wrapped his arms around my waist from behind and pulled me close.

I looked around and then up at him. “Yeah, I think I do.” I admitted. I could see us here, raising a family, growing old. It was the perfect place and Thor was already sold on it. 

“I told you this would be the one. Let’s go see if we can go visit the horses now.” He took me by the hand and led me out to the back deck where Ken was waiting speaking with a salt and pepper haired man in overalls. 

“Mia, Thor, this is Maurice. He runs the stables for the current owners.” Ken introduced us and we said our hellos. 

“If you folks would like, you can ride along in my truck or you can follow me in your car. I can show you the stables, the barns, some of the fields, whatever you’d like to see.” Maurice offered.

“We’d like to see all of it and we’ll join you in the truck.” Thor told him.

Ken looked leery of the old battered blue pickup truck, “I’ll follow in my car so I can make a few calls.”

Thor climbed right in the truck and held out a hand to help me up. The stables were only a minute away but Maurice and Thor were making plans on what to see next as we drove. The stables were much larger than I had expected, and so were the horses. Maurice must have noticed my surprise, “These are Belgian Draft horses. They’re big, huh?”

“Yes, very. I’ve never seen horses this size before.” I told him.

“They are typically what you’ll see in the cities for carriage rides and on farms as work horses. They’re great with people though, that’s why we have them. They’re extremely kind and gentle for their size. Would you like to meet them?” 

“Sure, this one looks like it’s ready to meet us whether we like it or not.” I gestured at the spotty white and grey horse that was pushing against the front of her pen trying to sniff Thor. 

Maurice shook his head, “This is Lady. She’s probably hoping he has a carrot for her. There’s bag of them over on the desk there if you want to give her one.”

Thor was delighted by the attention from Lady and pet her nose and mane. She nuzzled into his touch and bumped his shoulder trying to get closer. He laughed and talked to her in a soothing tone assuring her she was a beautiful girl. The hesitation I had originally felt at own horses evaporated watching him interact with her and then the rest of the horses in the barn. We spent almost an hour walking up and down the pens feeding the horses each a carrot and petting them. 

“I always wanted horses of my own.” Thor told Maurice.

“They’re a lot of work but we keep this place running pretty smoothly. I’m here from right after sun up until we get them boarded for the night. I have three guys who come up and help as well. Everyone is willing to stay on and for as long as you’d like. We’ve all been here since the Owens bought the farm and love these horses as our own.” 

“We would want you stay, of course. These beauties deserve the best.” Thor fondly ruffled the main of the smaller brown and tan horse we were next to. “Are you able to ride them at all?” 

“Absolutely. Some of them are more eager for riders than others but they all cooperate and love a good run. Do you ride?”

“Not in many years. But I very much want to.”

Ken walked over with a worried expression, “Hey, how are we doing?”

Thor was oblivious, “Great, I think we’re about ready to see the barns now.”

“Well, I hate to pull you away but we are going to run out of time today to see the other two properties if we stay much longer.”

“We’re good here. We don’t need to see anything else.”

I put a hand on Thor’s shoulder, “Hold on, sweetheart, we haven’t seen everything here yet. Ken, I’m sorry to do this to you, but could we cancel the other two viewings and just see more of this place? We have a lot to discuss, but we may not need to see anywhere else.” 

Ken shrugged, “I would usually advise against buying the first place you see but it’s your call. A place like this won’t stay on the market for long. We can see the rest of Beau Terre today and then you can let me know what you think after sleeping on it. If you want to move forward we can or I can show you a few more places next week.”

“Okay, perfect. Thank you for being understanding. Maurice, can you take us around to the barns now?”

 

“Absolutely, let’s go.” Maurice led us back to his truck and we headed out to see the rest of the property. 

Two hours later we were back at the main house saying goodbye to Maurice and promising to reach out to him if we moved forward with buying Beau Terre. I had to reign Thor in several times so he didn’t make promises to the man. Thor was so decisive with everything and buying a house was no exception. I loved that about him but it wasn’t always very practical. 

“Ken, how quickly could we move on this place if we get back to you with a solid commitment tomorrow?” I asked. 

“Well, it depends on how quickly we can get a home inspector out here and then how quickly your mortgage application is approved. Typically we’re looking at a month or two.” he advised.

“We don’t need a mortgage anymore, Thor is buying the house outright. How does that change things?”

“It definitely speeds things up. And the current owners are very motivated to sell so we could probably get an inspector out next week, you two take care of securing the funds, and then we’ll see how quickly the owners can clear out their things. So maybe two weeks if they are quick?” 

“That’s great news. We’ll talk things over tonight and I’ll call you in the morning.” 

We parted ways and Ken drove off quickly. I was sure we had taken much more time than he had originally allotted for us. 

“I wish we could stay.” Thor said staring up at the house.

I gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, “I know, love. Let’s go back to the hotel and we can talk about it more. This is a huge decision, we need to be a hundred percent certain.”

“As soon as it’s ours I’m bringing you back here and having you right on the foyer floor. And in the living room. And kitchen. And dining room. And-”

“Okay, okay. I get the hint. You can have me in every room of the house as soon as it’s ours.”

“There’s a few places out in the fields too…”

“Calm it down, we’ll have the rest of our lives here.”

Thor laughed, “I’ll be patient. Though now I just want to get you back to the hotel.”

“That can be arranged, let’s go.”


	17. Chapter Seventeen

The drive back to the Millennium was much quieter as Thor was engrossed in a new game on his phone. I was lost in thoughts trying to figure out the logistics of buying a house and moving. I had moved once on Sajoren after completing my education but it was just a tiny apartment in the city. There was so much more to figure out with an entire house, and it wasn’t just me anymore, Thor needed a say in all this too. 

Thor hurried me through the lobby and up to our room once we were back at the Millennium. We were barely inside the room when he pushed me up against the wall and rained kisses down my throat. “I’ve wanted you all day.” he said against my skin. 

“Oh really?” I teased. 

“Really.” he guided my hand down against his hardening length. I started rubbing against the thin material of his pants and he roughly grasped my breast in his palm, flicking a thumb against my nipple through my shirt. A moan escaped my lips and I gave myself over to the sensation of being consumed by him. I was so small compared to him and his body completely engulfed mine as he pressed me up against the wall. His hand slipped down to unzip my jeans but I pushed it away. This time would be about him. 

I pushed both palms against his chest and got him to pull back for a moment. He allowed me to push him further so his back was against the door, his eyes sparkling with curiosity. I dropped down onto my knees and pulled his pants down and off. Taking his shaft in my hands I began softly stroking him, just teasing to ensure he was ready for what I had planned. Satisfied, I held him by the hips and slid his length into my mouth until I couldn’t take anymore. I realized he was just too big and moved my hands up to his base, working my hands in tandem with my mouth. Thor’s hands shot out and he held onto the walls on both sides of the entryway for support. I swirled my tongue as I moved him in and out of my mouth causing his muscles to all tense up, his breath coming out in a hiss. He was so close and I quickened my movements to push him over the edge. He barked out my name as he came, his whole body trembling. I stilled, waiting for him to finish before moving away. His breathing was ragged as he pulled me up onto my feet. “That... was... incredible.” He panted, “I will have to return the favor later when my brain begins working again.”

I beamed at his praise, “I look forward to that. But for now, we have house planning to do. Come on, I’ll get the laptop.” 

“I will get snacks.” Thor offered heading to the kitchen. 

I set us up on the breakfast bar so we could look through the house listings again and Thor brought us cut up cheese and grapes from the fridge. We nibbled as we scrolled through every possible option and while there were a few other nice houses none of them compared to Beau Terre. 

“Let’s be done with this.” Thor groaned after a while, “We know we love it. Let’s just buy it and be done. I do not need to see every house in Midgard to know this is our home.” 

“Okay, let’s get you set up online with the banks and we’ll start moving things around to buy it. You have the checkbook from Valkyrie so we’ll see if they need an actual bank check or if we can write one ourselves. I’ll call Ken now and tell him to set up the inspection.” 

I brought up the first bank website for Thor and had him start filling out the form for online banking while I called Ken. Ken was surprised but happy to hear from me so soon. He agreed to send over the forms we would need to sign and return to make the formal offer. He said we could make an offer lower than the selling price if we wanted but Thor and I didn’t want to prolong the process and we agreed to the asking price. We also needed to include an earnest money deposit and I was thankful Valkyrie had kept everything aside for Thor so we had checks on hand.

“Okay, Ken is sending us the forms.” I told Thor as I took my seat next to him, “We’ll fill them out and write a deposit check to get things moving. Do you have at least five thousand in your checking account so we can write the check today?” I looked over and realized Thor was looking very smug. “What’s up?” I asked him.

He proudly moved the laptop back over to me, “I told you I could buy you a house.” Thor pointed at his banking screen. 

I wasn’t able to control my mouth from dropping open. “Thor, that’s forty million dollars. We won’t need nearly that much. Why is there so much in that account?” 

“There’s much more in the other bank. This is just what Valkyrie had leftover in the account with my card. We should get you a card for it too. I want to provide for you.” 

“We can talk about that later, I don’t want to just take your money. But at least we won’t have to move things around for a while.” 

“You’re going to be my wife, so what is mine is yours now. I want to give you everything you’ve ever wanted. You don’t have to live like you used to on Sajoren, worrying about working all the time to pay for your next meal or a place to live. Let me take this burden from you.”

“Okay, I get it. I’ll try to get used to it.” I couldn’t even begin get my head around the idea of not worrying about money and while a small selfish part of me was doing a happy dance, I loved him too much to ever think of taking advantage of the situation. 

Once the forms and check were dropped off for Ken we picked up dinner and headed back to the suite. He said it could take several days to hear back but we had barely finished our food when we got the call that the Owens had accepted our offer. They also wanted to meet us to discuss what things we would like left there, if anything. We set up an appointment with them for the following Monday to go over everything and Ken was going to set up a home inspection for that day as well. Providing nothing was wrong with the house it would be ours. We planned to spend the weekend looking at furniture and things we’d need so that once the sale went through we could have our deliveries the same day. 

“We don’t need to make a list for me anymore.” Thor said out of the blue the next morning. We were still curled up in bed and his announcement was completely without context. 

I rolled over to face him, “What list?”

“You wanted to make a list of things I could do once things settle down. I know what I want to do now. So we don’t need a list.”

“And what do you plan to do?” 

“I want to let children come see the horses, groups of them could come visit. Getting to go see the horses was one of my favorite things as a boy and I think Midgard children will enjoy it too. It would be good for the horses, they love the attention.” 

“That’s a really great idea. We’d have to work out all the logistics but it would be a great opportunity for them.” 

“See, I told you it would all work out.” 

“You did. Now, ready to get up and go pick out furniture?” 

“Can we go later? I was hoping we could get breakfast and spend the morning in the bath.” 

After an eventful week I couldn’t deny the appeal of a lazy morning. I should have known better than caving in though. We ended up wasting the entire day just relaxing. After the bath he lured me back into bed and the morning was lost to achingly slow love making. We only emerged hours later for lunch while we watched another Star Wars movie. Eventually we took a quick walk around the galleria to get out for a bit. Thor wasn’t thrilled about going out but he insisted we go because the therapist had encouraged him to go out every day to keep him from falling into the habit of isolating himself again. I was so thankfully he was genuinely trying. We spent the evening watching HGTV and getting ideas of things we wanted for the house. It was blissfully lazy and I only felt slightly guilty as we crawled into bed having accomplished absolutely nothing that day. 

But I was never one to sit still too long and Sunday morning I was up and restless by 7am. I searched online for furniture stores and places to get home supplies. Without knowing the exact day of settlement we couldn’t order anything but I found most stores had registries. It wasn’t really their intended use but it would let us save everything we wanted to buy later with a few clicks. Most stores didn’t open until ten or eleven so I left Thor to sleep in. He had slept fitfully, plagued with nightmares again, and he desperately needed the rest. 

I paced around, realizing I had nothing that needed done but still feeling restless. I ended up leaving Thor a note on the nightstand that I had run out for groceries and if he needed me to just call me. I opted to walk down to the Whole Foods market a few blocks away, enjoying the sunshine and crisp morning air. We didn’t need much but it would be nice to replenish the basics so we weren’t always ordering out. I was trying to pick out a box of granola when my phone chirped. 

Thor had text me, “Got your note. Need something.” 

“What?” I text back.

“You” 

“Ha. I’ll be back soon.”

“Starbucks?”

I sent him a thumbs up emoji and went back to reading granola labels. 

It was after checking out that I realized I had to carry everything back and regretted offering to pick up Starbucks too. It was a juggling act but I managed to get everything up to the suite without incident. Thor was reading the news online but looked up at the loud thump of the bags on the kitchen counter. “I would have gone with you.” he said apologetically. 

“It’s okay. I was restless and you were sleeping. I managed just fine.” I assured him. “I was going to make an omelette once I put everything away. Do you want one?” 

“I’m not sure what that is but I will eat whatever you make me.”

“They’re so good. We had them on Sajoren too and back when I was in school they were a quick cheap meal between classes and work. I miss cooking since, well, since everything changed. Once we move I want to cook a lot more often.” 

“I will not complain. Where I’m from it’s an expression of love to cook for your family.” 

“That’s sweet, I like that.” 

I kept out the supplies I needed and set a small pan to heat up on the stove. Thor watched intently as I whisked the eggs and sliced the cheese getting everything set up. Once the pan was hot things moved quickly and within a minute I was layering slices of gouda, handfuls of spinach, and a scoop of premade herbed mushrooms into the center of the pan. I flipped the edges closed and slid the omelette onto the plate I had ready for him with two thick slices of grainy toast. 

Thor dug in as I started making mine. “You are very good at this. I could eat this every day.” he said after a few bites.

“Oh good, I’m glad you like it. I can make these whenever you want.” I finished making my omelette and joined him at the breakfast bar. 

“I’m a lucky man.” he wrapped an arm around my shoulders and kissed my forehead.

“Hold on to this feeling because we have a lot of stuff to do today and you’re probably going to hate me by the time we’re done.” 

“We have to pick things out for the house, right?”

“Yeah. It’s a lot of shopping. And I don’t know how busy these places will be since it’s a weekend.” 

“It’s okay, I’m getting better at going out. Besides, I want to pick things out for our home. I’ve always wanted this and I am not going to miss out on a minute of it.”

“It’s settled then. We’ll go once I’m finished. What do you want to pick out first?”

“The most important thing: the bed.” 

He waggled his eyebrows at me suggestively and I almost choked on a piece of spinach. 

“Why does that not surprise me? We can do the furniture store first then.” 

“I’ll go get ready while you finish up.” he said planting another kiss on the top of my head. 

I finished my breakfast quickly and washed our dishes while Thor got ready. He came out wearing a grey soft cotton t shirt and bright blue slacks with his beard braided and his hair pulled half up. He looked like a model standing in the doorway to the kitchen leaning casually against the frame. An appreciative sigh came out of my mouth before I could suppress it. My cheeks flushed, “Nope, we don’t have time for that. Let’s go before we waste another day doing nothing.” I slid past him and went to get my purse. 

“I’m glad you approve.” he all but purred in my ear coming up from behind me. I scrambled towards the door, refusing to give in. Thor grumbled half heartedly but followed grabbing his grey sweater and gloves on the way out.

The furniture store was a twenty minute drive away but it was supposed to be the best and going to one place instead of several would be much easier. We pulled in and found the parking lot mostly empty. Inside only two other couples were shopping and a young blonde woman approached us the second we were through the door. She eyed Thor up with a predatory admiration and I felt a wave of jealousy and protectiveness surge inside me. 

“Hi folks, what are you shopping for today?” she chirped, blatantly staring at him. Thor was looking around taking in the size of the huge store and hadn’t noticed her yet. 

“We’re just looking around for right now. We’ll ask for help if we find something.” I said quickly. I linked my arm in Thor’s and lead him off in the direction of the bedroom sets. 

“Don’t we need help?” he asked me confused. 

I shook my head, “Not from her. She was looking like you like you were her favorite type of cookie.” 

Thor looked back and she was still watching us walk away, “Good call. Keep that one away from me please.” 

“I will, love. Now, let’s pick out a ridiculously comfy bed.” 

Thor enjoyed flopping down on the beds to test them and had me giggling at his antics. We quickly discovered that a california king size was going to be needed to accommodate his height. Thankfully he only hit his head on one headboard before we agreed on that. He also insisted on seeing if he could fully stretch out on the sofas. It was like shopping with a child who was too cute to scold. I let him have his fun knowing we were going to have to live with these purchases for years to come and we might as well test them out. 

We found everything we needed for the master bedroom, living room, and dining room. The other rooms could wait until we knew for sure what was being left for us and we were less concerned with having new things for them. We both gravitated towards a blend of french country and rustic style pieces that would fit nicely with the farmhouse. I flagged down a helpful, male, salesman and put everything on a hold order until we had a move in date. 

Thor was still in good spirits so we moved on to our next stop. There was a Bed, Bath & Beyond store across the parking lot and they had pretty much everything else we would need. We took our time looking through various types of sheets and towels. Thor was easy to please, whatever was the softest. “I want our home to be comfortable.” He explained simply. I carefully scanned in the exact items we wanted for our gift registry and tried not to cringe too hard at the prices. Watching Thor hug all the pillows trying to find his favorite was adorable and he finally decided on one which we added six of to the list. I thought that was excessive but Thor seemed to think the bed we had picked needed no less than six. I fully expected him to make a super soft pillow fort in our bed if given half the chance. 

We did eventually hit a snag though. Thor spent so much time picking out a duvet sets I was ready to give up. The sets were all lovely but Thor couldn’t pick just one. He finally got it narrowed down to two: one white and yellow, one in shades of grey, and I scanned them both not willing to spend any more time picking. It was funny the things he would get stuck on and the things he had very little input on. We moved on to kitchen wares which he thankfully had only minor opinions on and I was able to run through picking my favorites quickly. I was never much of a “shopper” but knowing we were buying things for our home made the experience a lot more fun. 

By the time we were picking out laundry soap Thor looked a little ragged. No one had approached him while we shopped but several people had stopped, stared, whispered to their shopping partners, and a few I suspected snapped pictures on their phones. We had been out in public for longer than he had likely been out in the past year and I didn’t want to push him too far. I noticed he was wringing his hands while reading the back of a bottle and I decided it was enough. “Thor, sweetheart.” I looped my arm in his, “Let’s be done for today.”

His brow furrowed as he looked down at me, “We still have to decide on what soap we want.”

“Nope, we can do that later online.” I started guiding him to the front of the store to return our scanner.

“But you said-”

“Nope. We’re done. Let’s get you home.”

He shrugged but didn’t push the issue. 

Once in the car Thor flipped on his dark shades and remained quiet on the way back to the Millenium. I almost though he was asleep but every so often he shifted in his seat. As soon as we were back in the suite he all but collapsed on the sofa. I knelt on the sofa next to him so that I was hovering over him a bit. “Here, let me try this.” I told him while I took his hair out of the hair tie. He complied and leaned forward on the seat so I could get around his back easier. Slowly I started massaging his scalp, increasing pressure as his body responded to the sensations, getting just the right pressure and motions to relax him. After a few minutes his shoulders visibly relaxed and his breathing slowed as well. 

“How do you feel now?” I asked after I finished. 

“So much better. That was wonderful.” he said with a relaxed smile.

“I’m glad I could help. I think we pushed things a bit much today. I’m sorry for that.”

“No, I’m sorry. I should be able to do these things. You deserve a better man, Mia. You really do. I’m trying but I’m just not there yet. I want to be worthy of you but what if I never get back to normal. All I’ve ever done is let people down and I can’t bear the thought of doing that to you.” 

The pain in his eyes crushed me almost as much as his words, “Thor, no. Stop. These are just temporary thoughts, don’t get lost in them. This is my fault for pushing you too much today. We need to take things a little slower and that’s okay. You’ll get better but it’s going to take time. You need to be patient with yourself. You can talk about this with Dr. Grant next week and see what she says but I’m pretty sure she’s going to agree about taking things slow. Now, Dr. Grant wanted you to step back and analyze when things go off the rails. Can you walk me through where things started going south today?” 

“I don’t know what I did to deserve you. I love you so much.”

“You pulled me out of a burning building and saved my life. Not to get me started on the millions of other people you’ve saved over the years.” 

“You only see the good, don’t you?”

“All of it. And you only see the darkness. Now, you’re not getting out of this, where did things start getting tough this morning?”

Thor started backtracking through his day, slowly and sometimes haltingly going through where he started feeling anxious and how things progressed. It wasn’t easy for him but I sat next to him, wrapping my arms around him and laying my head on his shoulder while he spoke. It was so easy to see the slippery slope of anxiety, fear, and self doubt started building up until he was just emotionally spent. Finally, he was done and he looked completely exhausted. 

 

“You did great.” I assured him while rubbing circles on his shoulders. 

“Can we stay in the rest of the day?” he asked with a tremendous yawn.

“Of course. We still have two more Star Wars to watch. I’m going to make some popcorn, you rent the movie.” 

I stood up but he grabbed my waist and pulled me back down onto his lap, “I really do love you.” he said and hugged me so tightly I couldn’t breathe. 

I hugged him back then tried to stand up again “I love you too. Now, let me go or you don’t get popcorn.” He released me from his grip and I headed off to the kitchen. 

By time we had finished the first movie Thor was much more relaxed and as the night wore on he seemed to return to his normal jovial self. I was relieved that he wasn’t too worn down from the day’s outing. I needed him the next day to meet with the current owners of Beau Terre. Part of me wondered if Beau Terre was the right move for Thor. It was an isolated place and he would be able to hide himself away easily there. I loved that he wanted to bring kids in to visit, but would he actually make it happen or just become recluse again. It was going to be a lot of work and I just had to hope he was up to it.


	18. Chapter Eighteen

“This roof is going to need replaced in a few years.” the home inspector called down to us from the top of the farmhouse at Beau Terre. The man had been running around for over an hour with his clipboard making notes for us about improvements we might consider. Poor Mrs. Owens cringed at his comment. She was a petite older woman with deep crows feet and grey hair pulled back in a tight braid. Throughout the inspection she would look over nervously at us everytime the inspector made a negative comment. It was like she was expecting us change our minds because of a few minor issues. The Owens were very welcoming and vocal about how glad they were someone was willing to buy the property with the horses. They loved the horses but they got in over their heads and couldn’t keep the business going. We both assured them they would be more than welcome to come visit the horses and go for a ride whenever they wanted.

“We could get those solar panels we saw online when we replace it.” I commented to Thor loudly enough for the Owens to hear. 

“I loved those! We should do it this summer if it’s going to need done eventually anyway.” he agreed.

Mrs. Owens smiled and nodded looking relieved she had dodged another potential issue. 

In the end the inspector found no egregious issues that would prevent us from moving right in. The Owens were very relieved and asked if we had any other concerns, which we didn’t. They both expressed ambivalence on taking or leaving the furniture and the four of us walked around marking items we would like them to leave. Since they were not worried about the furniture we kept the spare bedrooms, the sun room/ library set, the kitchen, and the office all as they currently were. We would only need to buy the three rooms of furniture we had already picked out, and since it was only three rooms to empty the Owens said they could have everything out within the week. We set up settlement for one week and we would be able to move in the same day if we wanted. Thor and I both agreed we would be in that day pending the furniture delivery. Mr. Owens and Thor exchanged phone numbers so if plans changed on cleaning things out or having our things delivered we could communicate and figure things out together. They were such a nice couple and I hoped they would take us up on the offer to come visit the horses. 

Maurice came down to say hello before we left and we discussed the Owens transferring all of their book keeping information to us so we could keep things going once the sale went through. We assured Maurice that he and his guys would not miss a paycheck during the change over. These were good people and we wanted to do right by them. 

It was sad to return to the Millennium but knowing Beau Terre would soon be ours was a small consolation. We were able to set up the furniture delivery for the afternoon after settlement and providing everything went as planned we would be able to move in the same day for the most part. Neither of us had much stuff and it would all fit in my car so as long as the deliveries showed up we were all set. The gift registry items were all purchased with a few simple clicks and since it was a registry we were able to set up the delivery date so they would arrive Monday at Beau Terre as well. 

“We’re all set.” I called to Thor, “We should be able to move right in Monday after settlement.”

He walked over to me and scooped me up in his arms, “Perfect, now we can celebrate.” he began nibbling on my ear and headed down to the bedroom where he showed me just how excited he was.


	19. Chapter Nineteen

Dr. Grant called early Tuesday morning and confirmed Thor’s appointment for 3pm the following day. He was looking forward to meeting with her again and spent most of the day working through some of the “homework” she had given him for the week. By the time she arrived Wednesday he was eager to go over everything with her. I offered to go out while they met, reminding Thor he could just text me when they were finished now that he had a phone. He agreed and I promised to keep my phone on.

I walked around the galleria aimlessly, finally buying a book and settling in at Starbucks to read for a bit. Thor had about fifteen minutes left in his appointment and my phone lit up with a text from him asking me to come up. I hurried upstairs hoping everything had gone well and found Dr. Grant waiting for me in the living room. Thor was out on the patio on his phone. 

“Is everything okay?” I asked her. 

Dr. Grant nodded, “Yes, of course. Thor and I are done for this week but I need to talk to you. He gave me permission to speak freely with you and I know you want what’s best for him.”  
I nodded as she continued, “It’s understandable you two want to move forward with building a life together, but you have to keep in mind he’s still not out of the woods. Having a home, a real home, will be helpful for him but all the logistics and new experiences could trigger him. The loss of his family is still overwhelming for him and setting up a home could bring up a lot of memories. You’ll need to be careful to keep an eye on him during this process. I also talked with him about not pressuring himself over a wedding so quickly either. He wants to marry you so much but expressed worries over being around so many people, especially with the focus being on him. Thor gets caught up on doing things ‘right’, it’s part of the fear of failure that fuels his anxiety and depression. You’ll need to keep reinforcing that you two are doing things your way, and there is no set right way.”

“I just want him to be okay. I’m not going anywhere whether we get married tomorrow or two years from now. And what can I do if he starts getting overwhelmed with the new house?”

“Just be there for him. You can ask him to try and talk through what caused the reaction, make him put words to the emotions that came up and how he reacted. He said you did this with him on Sunday and it helped. Taking a moment to reflect will help him take a step back and should help him move past what comes up in the moment. Have him write it down too so I can discuss any major issues with him next week.” 

“How are we going to set up next week's session? We’ll be over an hour away.” 

“I can do Skype sessions from here on out with in person meetings on occasion as needed.” 

“Okay, great. Thank you so much for all you’ve done for him already. I know he’s genuinely listening to the suggestions you’ve given him so far.” 

“He wants to get better and he’s doing the work. Thor has a very good chance at long term success providing he keeps putting in the effort. Now, I apologize but I have to run. I have another appointment I can’t be late for.”

I thanked the doctor and showed her out. Thor was still on the phone when I joined him on the balcony but he quickly ended the call when he saw I had come outside. 

“Hello love” he greeted me with a quick kiss. 

“Hey, how are you feeling?” I asked. 

“Good, it was a good session. You talked to the doc too then?”

“Yeah, she just wants to be sure the move goes well for us. Who was that on the phone?”

“Just Valkyrie. She was checking in on me.” 

“That’s nice of her. We should have her over one day as soon as we’re settled in. She’ll love the horses.”

“She might try to take one home if we’re not careful. But yes, we definitely should. I’m going to try going out by myself today. Just for a little bit but I need to get used to it again. I don’t want to have to rely on you every time I need something.” 

I couldn’t stifle my surprise, “Oh. Okay. When?” 

Thor shrugged, “Now I guess. I’m going to run down to the DXL store in the galleria. It’s familiar and it will be a very short trip. The doc said to stick to those parameters for my first few trips out.”

“That’s a great start. I’ll be here when you get back.” 

“Thank you.” He kissed me again, deeper this time, before heading out. 

It was almost half an hour later when he returned with a long garment bag in hand. I was still on the balcony reading my book when I saw him dash down the hall. I followed him, curious what he had purchased and bumped right into him as he exited the bedroom. He actually jumped back like I was a snake he almost stepped on. 

“Whoa, what’s up?” I asked him.

“Nothing. Just had to put away a new shirt.” he said not looking me in the eye. 

I was suspicious but didn’t want to push him considering this was his first solo outing, “Okay. How was it shopping by yourself?”

“It was fine. I found the same salesman as last time and he helped me find what I needed. Uh, why don’t you go shopping too? I noticed you have very little clothing, you should buy yourself something nice. You know, a dress type thing.”

I tried to suppress a smirk, he was clearly up to something, “I was just out. And what would I need a dress for?” 

“Women... like… dresses..?” he was floundering for an excuse and shrugged with his palms up.

I laughed at his feeble attempt, “You want me to go buy a nice dress? And you are not telling me why?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, I’m not even going to try to figure this one out. There are two shops downstairs that will probably have something. How fancy are we talking here?”

Thor gave me an apologetic shrug again. “Nice-ish? I do not know how you would define it”

“Oh jeez. This is going to be fun. I’ll find something. You’re asking a lot here mister.” 

“I’m sorry, my love. Maybe this was a bad idea.”

“No, no, no. It’s fine. I was teasing. I’m going right now.”

“And get jewelry too. Oh, and shoes. Here, take my plastic card. Get whatever you desire. I want to buy these things for you. Please?”

“Okay, but you are probably going to regret that when you see the bill. Girly stuff doesn’t come cheap.” 

“I would buy you the sun if you asked.” 

“I’m sure you would. Now, I’m off. I’ll see you in a little bit.” 

With little information to go off of I went with a classic black dress made of satiny material that clung to my curves and was cut low enough to be suggestive but not indecent. The dress made it easy to find matching heels and I settled on a pair in black with satin bows on the heels. I was going to skip past the lingerie section but grabbed a set at the last minute unable to resist one of the displays. The shop had an array of jewelry, most of it cheap looking and not what I wanted but a small necklace caught my eye. It was a thin gold chain with a single pearl dangling from it. It would work better than any of the other options and I picked up a gold hair clip to go with it. I was back upstairs in less than an hour and heard Thor cursing in the bedroom. 

“You okay, love?” I asked trying the door handle but finding it locked.

“No. I mean, yes! I’m fine. Can you give me a minute please?” he sounded frazzled. 

“Alright. Let me know when I can come in. I have bags to put away.” 

A minute later a flush faced Thor opened the door to the bedroom. “How was your shopping trip?”

I looked around for clues of what on earth was going on but found none, “It was fine. I got a nice outfit. It should work for whatever you have planned that you won’t tell me about.” 

“I promise I will soon. Just be patient my love.” 

“I’m not pushing. It’s sweet you are planning something.”

“Valkyrie is dropping off a few things I forgot at the cottage tomorrow, just so you know. Most likely tomorrow morning.” 

“Okay, I’m usually up early. Whenever she comes over I’ll be ready.”

“Ah, well, I would like to make sure I’m awake when she gets here. Come get me if she arrives before I wake.”

I was starting to wonder if he was being weird or if was just imagining it. I shook my head, it was probably just me. “Will do. Here’s your card back before I forget.” 

“Thanks. We really need to get you one. We can go this week and get you one when we pick up the check for settlement.” 

“Okay, but I do still have money of my own you know.” 

“You should save that. Let me take care of you. That’s what husbands do, I’m practicing.” 

“You are going to be an amazing husband. You know how I know?”

“How?”

“Because you love me so much.” 

“Love is all you need.” 

“Oh no! Remember when Quill got on a Beetles kick and drug you into it? Don’t start that again. Ugh. It was you and him belting out all their greatest hits for weeks. I thought we would all go deaf by the end.”

“It was not that bad. Quill is a little tone deaf but surely you enjoyed my voice? I shall remind you.” he began humming and then singing, “There's nothing you can do that can't be done. Nothing you can sing that can't be sung.” 

Giggling I stood on my tip toes and pressed my hands against his mouth. “Not again! I’m going to have flashbacks!” He began laughing as well and picked up me, tossing me onto the bed. I squealed and tried sit up but he pulled me by both legs until my hips were on the edge of the bed with my legs draped over the side. He resumed humming as he slid my leggings and panties down and off. He knelt down in front of me and I felt his beard brush against my soft skin. “Love, love, love.” He sang, his lips brushing against my sex. “All you need is love” he continued, his tongue flicking along my folds afterwards. I squirmed but was held in place by his large hands on my hips. He continued humming as he went down on me, the vibrations adding to the sensation of his swirling tongue. I was on the verge of an orgasm when he stopped and stood up to remove his own pants. Before I could protest my denied pleasure he slammed inside me and I cried out from the shock. He pulled me up so we were chest to chest as he drove us in a merciless pace. My nails dug into his back as I clung to him and his eyes flashed lightning white. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up and I was so close to the edge once again that I didn’t care if I got shocked by his powers. “I love you, I love you, I love you.” I panted lost in the frantic ecstasy. A feral sound thundered from Thor’s chest, “I love you, you are mine, forever mine.” He growled punctuating his words with deep thrusts. We came seconds apart, both with a shout, and the air crackled all around us. Slowly as things stilled, Thor planted soft kisses on my shoulders. “Are you okay? I got a little carried away.” 

I was still too blissed out to care, “I’m fine. Better than fine actually.”

Thor was satisfied with my answer and laid us down facing each other on the bed. We talked for hours, recalling memories from our time on the Benatar and a little about my life on Sajoren. After some time Thor began telling me about his childhood, stories about him and his brother. I fell asleep in his arms dreaming of two little boys, one fair and one dark, playing along the golden shores of Asgard.


	20. Chapter Twenty

I woke the next morning in the dark having fallen asleep so early. My whole body was sore and I would have minded but each little ache reminded me of the previous night. I grabbed a blanket from the sofa and made myself a cup of coffee. Taking everything out onto the balcony, I curled up in a chair to enjoy the sounds of the slowly waking city in the early morning twilight. Eventually the sky lightened and my coffee ran out which drove me indoors for a refill and my book. I found Thor hunched over the dining room table writing in his notebook. 

“You’re up early.” I commented. 

Thor all but jumped out of his chair. “Yes, I didn’t want to disturb you out there. You seemed peaceful.” He closed his notebook quickly as I walked over.

“Working on therapy homework?”

“Yes, exactly that. Your mug is empty, let me get you more coffee.” He took my mug and filled it as well as one for himself. “Valkyrie is on her way over.” He called from the kitchen.

“Okay, I’m going to read my book on the balcony if you need me.” 

I returned to my cozy spot outside and watched him return to the table where he began writing quickly in his notebook again. Something was up, I could feel it in my bones, but I trusted him to tell me in his own time. Valkyrie arrived a little while later and she handed a small stack of wooden boxes to Thor which he quickly took down the hall. When he reemerged they stood, chatting easily together. I didn’t want to interrupt their time, but Thor caught me glancing in at them and waved for me to join them. 

“Hey, sorry. I didn’t want to disturb you two.” I apologized. 

“Nonsense. Come in, I was just leaving anyway.” Valkyrie assured me. “Thor here was telling me about these magnificent beasts you’re buying. I can’t wait to meet them. I miss riding so much and they sound amazing.” 

“You will absolutely love them. You’ll have to come over once we’re in. You two can go riding, Thor is looking forward to it as well.”

“Do you ride?”

“Oh god no. Never. I’m sure I’ll learn but they’re just so huge, it’s a little intimidating.” 

“I would think the taming of large wild beasts was your specialty the way this one acts.” She poked Thor in the side and he playfully made a swing at her. They scuffled good naturedly for a moment before breaking up into a fit of laughter. It was good to see him happy like that. He might have lost his family but at least he still had good friends in his life. Unfortunately Valkyrie couldn’t stay and Thor walked her out. 

“Ready to go to the bank?” Thor called on his way back to the dining room.

“Sure,” I agreed “They’ll be open by the time we get there. Let me go get changed.” 

We were fortunate that Valkyrie had set everyone up at a large national bank with branches everywhere. The closest one to the Millennium was only 10 minutes away and the branch manager hurried us into his office as soon as we stepped through the door. He was young, in his late twenties, and kept smoothing his tie nervously. 

“Welcome, please sit down.” The manager said clearing papers from his desk. He probably didn’t get high profile clients in his branch often as he was clearly flustered by our arrival. “Can I get you coffee, water?” he offered. 

“No, we’re fine thank you.” I assured him.

Thor was straight to the point, “We’re buying a house and need a better check than I have in my little book. And she needs a plastic card to use for my account.”

“Not a problem, sir. Do you have your account information and ID?” the manager asked. 

Thor handed him his checkbook, debit card, and passport.

“Excellent, everything is in order. Let me bring up your account and I’ll get things moving for you. Do you have the information for the settlement?”

I pulled the paperwork with the Owen’s information and the sale price out of my purse and handed it to the man.

“I’ll need your ID as well, ma’am, to add you as an authorized user on the account.” 

I pulled out my drivers license and passed it over to him. 

After a few quiet minutes of the man typing away at this keyboard the printer started up and he handed Thor the settlement check. “Would you like an envelope for that?” he offered.

Thor shook his head, “No, she can hold on to it.” 

I took the check from Thor. “Yes, please. I would like an envelope so I can keep it safe until Monday.” I said to the manager who handed me one immediately. I was not risking damaging or losing a check with that many zeros on it. 

A few minutes later the manager excused himself and went to pick up my debit card. He returned with a little blue card of my own and passed it and my license back to me. “Can I help you with anything else today while you’re here?” the manager asked.

Thor thought for a moment before speaking, “Not everywhere takes these little plastic cards, correct?”

The manager nodded, “Correct, some shops might not have the machines to accept debit cards. Your card also works as credit Visa, but if they don’t have a machine at all then you would need cash.”

“I would like some cash then. And some for her too.”

“How much would you like to withdraw?” 

Thor looked at me, lost, “A thousand?”

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at him, “No sweetheart. That’s a lot of money here. And most places take cards.”

“Well how much do you usually carry?”

“Twenty bucks. Sometimes a little more.” 

Thor shook his head, “No, we’ll take a hundred each.” 

The manager sat back waiting a heartbeat to be sure Thor was done. “Okay, so two hundred total. I’ll just have you sign here on the screen and I’ll go get the cash for you.” 

After we had our cash in hand the manager walked us out to the front doors, “Please feel free to drop by anytime and ask for me by name.” He said handing us both his business card. We thanked him and headed out. 

“So, what do you want to do today?” I asked Thor as we walked back to the car. 

Thor grinned mischievously, “We have plans.” 

I raised an eyebrow at him, “Really?” 

“Yes, but not until one.”

“Am I going to get any more information than that?”

“Not until one o’clock.”

I groaned, “Fine. You win. Let’s just head back and we can figure something out until then.” 

As I expected, figuring out what to do turned into doing absolutely nothing. He alternated between playing on his phone and writing in his notebook. I finished my book and caught up on emails but I was very glad when Thor announced it was time to leave.

“Do I need to get changed?” I asked him. 

“No you’re fine.” He replied. 

“Do I need to bring anything?”

“No, I’m taking care of it.” 

“Should I bring my purse? My keys?”

“No, just the room card.”

“Oh come on, where are we going?”

“You’ll see.” 

I scrunched my nose at him indignantly. I was not a fan of surprises. 

When the elevator doors opened Thor took my hand and lead me away from the galleria area. I had never been to the opposite end of the hotel and remained clueless. After a short walk we stopped in front of large wooden doors with the word “Verde” cut out of shiny brass and set into the wood. 

“What is this?” I asked him, still confused.

“A spa day.” he replied, “I thought you would enjoy it. I have not had a massage since I lived in my father’s palace and they are wonderful. We’ll be here for about five hours getting all sorts of treatments” 

“Wow. I’ve never had a spa day before. What all are we doing?” 

“They have a whole list, I only recognized some things. Let’s go in and they’ll tell us.”

Thor was not exaggerating saying there was a list. The package was called the Star Treatment and took every last minute of five hours from start to finish. They whisked us away in seperate directions to get changed into robes and slippers and we met only briefly in the relaxation room before our massages. After massages came a body wrap and facial, followed by a manicure and pedicure. Finally they washed, trimmed, and styled my hair, and did a full makeup application for me. I had never felt so relaxed and glamorous in my life. I was still me but more refined and polished. How they had managed to tame my unruly red hair into such soft shiny waves was magic and I twisted my head about in the mirror taking in the full effect. I saw Thor in the mirror behind me, silently admiring me from the other side of the spa waiting room. 

“Oh my.” I whispered. 

“My thoughts exactly.” He agreed. His hair was still long but was less ragged around the edges and his beard was well shaped and just a little shorter. It was significantly softer against my face as he bent down to kiss me.

“Ready to go get changed?” He asked. 

“Are we going somewhere?” 

“Yes, and you have a new dress to wear.”

“I knew you were up to something!”

“Indeed. Now, we have to hurry or we’ll be late.”

We rushed back up to the suite and he took the mystery garment bag into the bathroom to change and let me have the bedroom to get ready. With my hair and makeup done I was dressed and ready in less than ten minutes giving my lipstick a quick refresh from the sample tube the makeup artist gave me to keep. I found Thor waiting in the living room and I faltered in my heels, catching myself on the door frame. He was wearing a dark blue suit with an off white dress shirt and matching blue tie. I had thought his armor was appealing but this was a whole new level. 

I was having a similar effect on him because his voice was thick when he finally spoke. “I am humbled. You are a goddess.” He walked over to me as I was practically frozen and knelt before me, “Will you accompany me to dinner?” 

I was dizzy, overcome with emotions and desire, “Yes, of course I will.” My voice was breathless and foreign to even myself. 

He stood, taking my arm in his and led me to the elevator and back downstairs. Much to my surprise, a town car was waiting for us outside. My head was still spinning, unable to catch up. After a short drive the car stopped outside the entrance to a renowned steakhouse owned by a popular celebrity chef. The dining room was on the top floor with large windows revealing stunning views of the city. Our table was off in its own private area right against one of the windows and we had a full view of the twinkling lights down below. Within moments of us sitting down a tuxedoed waiter brought over a bottle of champagne and two flutes. He poured our glasses and set the bottle in an ice bucket off to the side of our table. 

“This is incredible.” I murmured. 

“I wanted tonight to be perfect.” He admitted with a quick grin. “I did well?” 

“You did very well. I’m just speechless.” 

Thor reached across the table, taking my hands in his. “I’m glad. I’m not great with big gestures but I wanted to do something for you. I don’t know what I would do without you in my life. I love you and-“ Thor’s eyes glistened and he squeezed my hands tightly as words failed him. 

“Hey now. It’s alright. I love you too. And I love all the thought you put into today. It’s been perfect.”

“No, damnit all.” He grumbled, “I was supposed to do this after dinner. I had it all planned and I just… the hell with it.” He wiped at his eyes roughly and started over. “Mia, I have loved you since the moment I pulled you from that fire. You were so fierce and determined, driven by the love of your family; this singed little warrior girl. I was in awe of you. Then you came with us and it was almost too much to hope for that you would return my affections. But you did. The months we had together on the Benatar were the best of my life, until now of course, and when you left you took a piece of me with you. You coming back last week was like a second chance on life for me. I am deeply flawed but you accept me as I am. I cannot promise every day of our lives will be easy but I still want them with you. The good, the bad, all of it. I want to do something right for once in my life.” He paused to pull a small black velvet box from his suit jacket, “Will you marry me?” He opened the box to reveal a gold ring with a large square cut ruby in the middle. The sides of the ring were carved like vines scrolling towards the stone and it appeared antique.

Tears flowed down my cheeks and I nodded repeatedly, unable to speak. Finally I found my voice, “Yes, yes I’ll marry you.” 

Thor let out a celebratory whoop and slid the ring on my finger. “I love you so much. I wanted to do this right. Not like last time.”

“Both times were perfect. I love you too. This ring is incredible.” 

“The one of the blacksmiths in New Asgard made it from part of my fathers crown. Well, my crown now technically.” 

“It’s beautiful. I can’t believe you had them take apart your crown though.”

“It’s just a ceremonial thing, and it’s only missing the tiniest bit from the back. You’d never notice. It was Valkyrie’s idea actually. Apparently a maid had grabbed my parents crowns as she fled the palace during the evacuation of Asgard. Valkyrie kept them safe for me if I ever wanted them and she thought I might be ready to have them back.”

“Those were the wooden boxes she brought over.” 

“Nosy little thing. Yes, those were the boxes. We have a set of wedding rings too made from the same metal.”

“This is the most thoughtful thing anyone has ever done for me. I’m speechless.” 

“Good, now you see how I feel every single day with you.”

Tears welled again in my eyes even though the smile on my face was so wide it hurt.

“I was thinking,” He continued, “We don’t need to have a formal ceremony. Dr. Grant told me about civil ceremonies. They can be quick, private, and with only two other people. If you want, we could do that. I’m not sure when I’ll be ready for a full Asgardian wedding.” 

“Thor, I’ve seen the way your face lights up when you talk about those weddings. I’m willing to wait if you are. You are the love of my life, and a ceremony isn’t going to change that. Let’s hold off until you’re ready. I don’t want you to feel like you’ve missed out on something later on because we rushed. Besides, we have enough going on right now with the house.” 

“You always know what to do. Then it’s decided, we can wait. I’m looking forward to moving next week, it will feel good to set up a real home.” 

“Agreed. I’ve been living mostly out of hotels since I got here and I miss having a place of my own.” 

“You never finished telling me about what happened after Florida. Where did you go after that?”

I began recounting my journey from Florida to Louisiana while the waiter brought over a plate of fresh grilled vegetables and charturceries. The conversation flowed as easily as the champagne throughout dinner and by the end we were both replete and more than a little tipsy. I hung onto Thor’s arm for balance as we left the restaurant into the waiting town car. My heels seemed ridiculous and I slipped them off on the way back to Millennium. 

“I don’t know what I was thinking wearing heels. They’re death traps.” I scowled at the offending shoes as I set them down on the seat next to me. 

“Well, none of that then. Anything else you feel like taking off?” Thor teased. 

“No!” I yelped too loudly and then in hushed whisper, “No, I’m just fine thank you.”

“You sure?” He tugged suggestively at the neckline of my dress and I smacked his hand away.

“Oh my god, you’re a mess.” I scolded him mildly. 

“That’s right. I am your god.” He replied with a seductive growl. 

I was bright red with embarrassment and all I could do was giggle like a teenager. Thankfully we pulled in at the Millennium a moment later and I was spared further embarrassment. Or so I thought. Thor exited the car first and came around to my side where he swept me up into his arms, bridal style, and proceeded to carry me through the lobby and all the way up to our suite. He was emboldened by all the champagne and seemed completely oblivious to the attention this garnered. I, however, buried my face in his chest avoiding everyone’s glances. 

Through the suite and into the bedroom he carried me, only putting me down once we reached the bed. He laid me down on what had become “my side” with such care, then proceeded to flop down next to me shaking the whole bed. He scooted over, his body laying directly next to mine, and propped himself up on one elbow so he was leaning over me. I pushed back his long golden hair that fell around us like a curtain so I could lean up and meet his lips with mine. 

“You looked incredible tonight.” I told him between kisses. 

“I’m pleased you approved. I do not wear suits very often.” 

“How about we get you out of that thing?” 

Thor’s eyes lit up with amusement and he stood up, taking off his tie. 

“Here, let me help.” I insisted. I pulled the jacket off his broad shoulders, not caring that it fell to heap on the floor. Next I untucked his dress shirt and unbuttoned it slowly from top to bottom. I tried to slide the shirt down his arms but the cuff links caught and he had to undo them letting the shirt slide down with the jacket. I rubbed my hands across his chest and stomach, enjoying the feel of his soft skin beneath me fingers. Slowly I made my way down to his belt which I slid out of his pants with a flourish that caused him to laugh. He was incredibly patient as I continued on to unbuttoning his pants. I slipped his pants and underwear down together but stopped when I realized he was still wearing shoes. Quickly Thor kicked off his shoes, letting his pants join the pile of clothes. “Now you’re overdressed.” He commented. 

“Then let’s fix that.” I challenged. I raised my arms above my head in a long stretch that he took advantage of to pull my dress over my head and off. I heard a sharp inhale from him as he saw my lingerie for the first time. The impulse purchase had payed off. I stood before him trying not to squirm under his gaze in an elaborate pale peach lace bra and matching underwear. 

He was staring at me, eyes wide and lips parted in shock. “Had I known what was under that dress we’d never have made it to dinner.”

“Good thing then.” I agreed. I gave him a little twirl, letting my hair fan out as I did and he caught me mid-spin, pulling me against him. My back was pressed up against him and I felt his arousal pressing against my lower back. His hands fanned out across my breasts and he ran them down the length of my body, my skin heating under his touch. I shivered in anticipation. 

Deftly he slipped the straps of my bra off my shoulders and then unhooked the back clasp. With the thin fabric out of his way, he resumed his exploration starting with my bare breasts then finally moving lower where hooked his thumbs in the waistband of my panties. With one quick tug they were tossed aside with the rest of our clothes and Thor dipped one hand down to part my lips and rub at my already throbbing clit. My knees trembled and I fought to remain standing. 

“Do you want me?” He provoked. 

“Yes” I panted, desperate for release. 

“How?” 

“What?”

“How do you want me?” 

“On the bed”

He started to pull back and I grabbed his wrist. “No, don’t stop.” I begged.   
Complying, he sat down on the edge of the bed while continuing to work my sex with his fingers. I rested my palms on his shoulders for balance and needy moan rose up from my chest. Thor’s pace intensified and I was quickly undone, my body shaking as he drew out the orgasm longer than I ever thought possible. When he finally withdrew his hand I collapsed against him, spent. 

With great care Thor picked me up and moved me onto my back on the bed. He showered my body with kisses and I was near delirium when he finally parted my legs and entered me. He was so large, stretching me around his burning hot flesh. Slowly he began moving inside me, driving me wild. My hands ran over every inch of his skin that I could reach, reveling in the feel of him. My beautiful ruby ring caught his eye and he groaned loudly. His voice was strained, “Forever mine”. 

“Yes, forever yours. Always yours.” Was my breathless reply. My words pushed him over the edge, and he came with my name on his lips. 

As the aftershocks slowed he went to pull away but I pressed my palms against his arms to keep him in place. 

I moved my hands up to cup his face to ensure he was listening when I spoke, “Thank you for today. It was by far, the best day of my life.” 

“It was the best day of mine as well.” He agreed before rolling over onto his back. I was captured in his arms during the roll and was laying across his chest before I could even protest. I laid my head down partly on his chest and partly on his belly. It was the most comfortable spot in the world and I fell asleep quickly to the beating of his heart.


	21. Chapter Twenty One

We spent the rest of the week exploring the city in small doses. It was unlikely we’d be back anytime soon once we moved and there were a few things we both wanted to see. Thor had found a feature on Google that showed peak visit times for almost everywhere we wanted to go and we were able to plan our outings around them to avoid crowds. Since we were visiting on weekdays during the school year we had lots of options. Taking things slow with one or two hour outings during non peak times alleviated Thor’s anxiety and enabled him to actually enjoy himself. By Friday morning Thor was ready to tackle the aquarium. It was the one place that never seemed to have a slow period and would take two hours at least, possibly more, to get through. I still had my reservations about going but he was determined and looking forward to it. 

We arrived right when the aquarium opened and had arranged for a backstage tour of the dolphins for an hour later to avoid the first school tour rush. The aquarium was relatively quiet and we walked around hand in hand enjoying watching the schools of tropical fish swim around in the large tanks. I had been to two other aquariums and enjoyed showing Thor my favorites like the jellyfish in their neon lit tanks and the silky manta rays who would glide under your hand for a quick pet. He was completely enamoured with the Oceana tank where dozens of creatures swam around in a mini ecosystem. Sharks, sea turtles, manta rays, and all sorts of fish swam around in perfect harmony. We picked a bench and sat for a long time just enjoying our undisturbed spot; his arm around my waist and my head resting on his shoulder.

Eventually families began to come and go from the exhibit and despite a few very vocal toddlers we stayed put. I noticed Thor was watching a particularly enthusiastic little boy and his father. The man was crouched low explaining all the different creatures to the boy while he bounced up and down, his little blonde curls flying as he moved. Finally the father scooped up the tyke before he could run off and plopped him down on his shoulders. Thor’s face was wistful and undeniably sad watching them. 

I rubbed his shoulder comfortingly, “You okay?”

Thor blinked, breaking himself from his reverie, “I’m fine.”

“I wish I knew what was going on in that head of yours”

“I’m not sure I could put it to words.”

“Fair enough. I’m here if you want to try though.” 

“I just wonder if my father ever did things with me when I was that young. Everything with him was about duty, about making me into a king. I wonder if he ever truly saw me as a child. And I wonder if I’ll know what to do when we have children. What if I’m useless when the time comes? I cannot put that on you, I won’t.” 

“Whoa, take a breath. That’s your anxiety talking. We have lots of time to get you ready before we even think about starting a family. Besides, you take such good care of me, I’m certain you will do the same for our future children. You have the biggest heart, it’s what makes you worry about this so much and it’s also what will ensure you don’t make the same mistakes as your father. We will figure it out together when the time comes, I promise.”

Thor took a deep, cleansing breath and nodded. “Thank you. I needed that.” 

“It’s what I’m here for. Now, ready to go see the dolphins up close?” 

“Absolutely.”

The dolphin tour was just the two of us with the trainer and while we didn’t get in the water we were able to sit alongside the pool and pet them. It was relaxing and fun interacting with such personable animals. By the time we had finished with the tour two more school groups had arrived and we chose to make a quick exit since we had seen most of the exhibits anyway. 

Thor was rapid fire texting Valkyrie on the way back, sending her pictures of his favorite parts of the trip. He had been doing this all week and apparently she enjoyed seeing the city through his eyes. I was so thankful for her friendship. He needed other people in his life, more than just me. Gradually he was reaching out to others. He had sent emails with his new cell phone number to Korg, Banner, and Clint earlier in the week. All three were happy to have heard from him and reached out. Korg was thrilled to hear from him and had FaceTimed him with Miek who he claimed missed him greatly. Banner was proud of him for starting therapy, he and Hulk had been doing therapy for years and he promised to keep in touch now that Thor had a phone. Thor was hoping to have Clint and his family vacation at Beau Terre with us over the summer but I reminded him that it was a long trip for them and not to start planning anything until Clint confirmed. It was still going to be an ongoing battle for him, but Thor was genuinely healing. I was hopeful that within a few months he would be back to his easy going self, providing there were no set backs. We just had to get through the move and I would be able to truly breathe easier.


	22. Chapter Twenty Two

The day of settlement we were up before dawn packing the last of things up to move. We had to be at Ken’s office at 9am and I wanted to have everything out of the Millennium beforehand so we could go straight to the house afterwards. It took two frappuccinos to get Thor moving but we were running ahead of schedule by the time he loaded the last box into my car.

Settlement went smoothly and after a mountain of paperwork we were finally the proud owners of Beau Terre. The Owens gifted us with a bottle of good champagne when they handed us the keys and promised to come visit the horses soon. Whether it was the caffeine, the sugar, or excitement that we had bought the house, Thor was all but bouncing out of his seat the entire drive upstate. 

The moment I had the car in park Thor dashed out and around to my door and scooped me up in his arms, “I have to carry you over the threshold.” he insisted. I laughed and wrapped my arms around his neck. He carried me up the steps and across the porch to the front door before realizing we’d left the keys in the car. He swore under his breath and ran back for the keys.

“Now, let’s do this again!” he announced picking me back up. He got a few steps inside before I insisted he put me down. 

“Where are you going?” he called after me as I headed back outside. 

“To get our boxes. We have to start getting stuff moved in because we have the furniture coming in 90 minutes. Plus the other delivery should be here this afternoon.” I explained.

“Wait!” he came running after me and caught me halfway between the car and house. Pulling out his phone he wrapped an arm around me and brought up the camera. “New house selfie” he insisted. 

I leaned my head against his and smiled. His happiness was infectious and after a few clicks he got the shot he wanted. 

“How do I get this off of my phone?” he asked while we unloaded the boxes.

“What do you mean?” I asked him.

“People always have pictures in their homes in Midgard. I like the idea of having pictures of us in our house. I want that one on my nightstand.”

“Oh, we can either send it out be printed or buy a photo printer. Look them up online later, you’ll probably just want to buy one to save time. You should be able to get one that works with your phone too.” 

“Doing it now.” he sat down his boxes on the floor by the stairs and started searching on his phone.

“No you’re not. You’re helping me with the rest of these boxes. You can buy a printer later.”

He pointedly ignored me and after a moment I made a move to snatch his phone.

“Too late, found one. It will be here tonight.” he announced dodging me with ease.

I let out an exasperated breath, “I swear I’m going to uninstall Amazon from your phone.” 

He feigned taking offense and I rolled my eyes at him.

“How about you start unpacking and I’ll get the rest of the boxes?” he offered.

“That would be great. I’ll start on the bedroom.” 

A little while later Thor came upstairs where I was hanging our clothes in the bedroom closet, his previously excitement wiped from his face.

“What’s wrong, love?” I asked him.

“I was unpacking my Xbox and realized we forgot something.” he said.

“What is it?” 

“We don’t have a TV.” 

He looked so disappointed and I realized he was right. 

“I promised Korg I would be online to play Fortnite with him tomorrow.” he complained.

“It’s okay. We can do a little research later and pick one out online. That is not something you can just buy on Amazon so don’t even try it. Most places deliver pretty quickly, it shouldn’t be more than a few days. You’ll just have to call him and explain. He’ll probably enjoy seeing the house if you want to FaceTime him.” 

“He would like that. I can’t believe I forgot it though.” 

“He’s your friend, he’ll understand. And I forgot too, don’t let it get you down. We’re going to keep finding things we forgot over the next few weeks. It’s part of moving.” 

“Alright. Thanks, love. I’ll go FaceTime him now.” Thor headed off and I heard the trilling of the FaceTime call as he headed down the stairs. 

I finished unpacking the clothes and headed down to check up on Thor who I found in the backyard still on FaceTime with Korg. I was about to go sit in the sunroom for a quick break but I heard the the driveway gravel crunching under tires, the furniture had arrived. 

Two very large box trucks backed into the driveway and the delivery men jumped out to start unloading. The one man came out to have me sign for the deliveries while two others set up a ramp overtop the porch stairs. For only four men they had everything unloaded and into the appropriate rooms fairly quickly. Thor came around front after he ended his call to offer his help but the guys insisted it was fine, they only had a few smaller things left to bring in. 

The house looked fantastic with the new living room and dining room furniture set up. It was starting to really feel like our own home. The bedroom set we picked out just fit without overly crowding the room. The bed was truly enormous but there was enough space since we hadn’t set up a sitting area like there had been originally. Thor took a heavy flop on the bed and sprawled out taking up as much space as possible. 

I stood at the foot of the bed, hands on my hips, “Care to make room for me?”

Thor lifted his head, “Nah, you can just lay on top of me.” 

“You asked for it.” I took the opportunity to jump directly on him, stretched out so that I was as inconvenient as possible. He laughed and moved so I rolled off of him and onto a spot of my own on the bed. I thanked him cheerfully, pleased with my victory. I realized quickly that we had a problem though. I had lost track of time and now that we had stopped working I was starving. 

“Sweetheart.” I said rolling on to my side to face him. “We forgot something else.”

He thought for moment before giving up, “I can’t think of anything else right now. What is it?”

“Food.” 

Thor’s eyes widened, “How did we forget food?”

“I don’t know. I have a few things downstairs that we brought from the hotel but honestly I think it’s only half box of granola and a few crackers.” 

“Do we have time to go to the store before the next delivery?”

I pulled up the tracking information on my phone, “Yeah, we have a couple of hours before it’s expected to arrive. The store shouldn’t be too busy right now if you’re up to going out, weekday afternoons are normally as quiet as you’re going to find it.” 

“I have never been to a Midgard grocery store. It should be fun.” 

“Let’s go then.”

We grabbed the last of the granola on our way out to munch on while we drove. It wasn’t much but it was better than trying to grocery shop while ravenously hungry. Slowly winding down the main road we found our way easily to the Wegmans we had passed on our way to the house. Grocery shopping had never been something I deemed enjoyable, just necessary, but it was Thor’s first time and he was right, it was fun. He was amazed by all the choices of different foods. Every isle we went down he found something he didn’t know existed before. By time we had the essentials plus all of Thor’s impulse buys we had two shopping carts filled to the brims. He was debating the merits of Cocoa Puffs vs Cinnamon Toast Crunch when I finally cut him off. 

“Sweetheart, we have enough food to feed a small army. We gotta wrap things up.” I told him.

“Fine, then I’m getting both.” he placed the boxes precariously on top of a bag of baby carrots in his too full cart. 

I didn’t bother protesting, I just guided him to the checkouts. Knowing his limitless appetite we would probably be back in a week and he could explore the store all over again. I reminded him of this while the cashier scanned our items and he seemed pleased. 

We were pulling into the drive back at Beau Terre as the delivery driver finished unloading the last of our boxes. The front porch was covered in boxes in varying sizes stacked almost as tall as me. I had hoped to be home when the things were delivered but at least the man had stacked things neatly for us. 

“I think we bought too much stuff.” I worried aloud.

“We have a house to set up. It’ll be fine once we unpack it all.” Thor assured me. “Why don’t I get the groceries in the house, you can start putting the food away, and then I’ll start working on the box mountain.” 

“Sounds good. Thanks, love.” I grabbed as many bags as I could carry and Thor loaded himself up as well. By his second trip the kitchen floor was a sea of tan plastic bags and I was wondering if we had enough space in the pantry. Gradually I found space between the cupboards and the pantry, there was a hall closet that I was able to stash all the paper products in too. 

Thor was unpacking boxes, making piles in the living room when I found him. I grabbed a box and started opening it when he stopped me, “Wait!” he begged, “I have a system!” 

I held my hands up innocently, “Okay, what’s the system?”

“Each pile is a room. Kitchen, dining room, living room, our bedroom, our bathroom, the other bathrooms, the outdoor stuff, and cleaning type stuff.” he explained pointing out each pile. 

“That’s a good system.”

“I thought so. This way we can just get things unpacked then worry about setting up one room at a time.” 

“Works for me.” I placed the stack of towels from my box in the other bathrooms pile and headed out for another box.

We unpacked for over an hour and by the time we finished I was pretty sure we had a bigger mess than when we started. 

Thor took care of everything going upstairs and I started putting away the downstairs items. It was dark outside by the time the living room was back in order but we were fully moved in at last. 

“I’m exhausted.” I whimpered leaning over the enormous vacuum cleaner box for support. 

Thor nodded in agreement, “It’s been a long day.” 

“I’m too tired to cook. I wanted to make us a real dinner our first night here.”

“It’s okay, my love. We can do that tomorrow. I’m good with whatever we find. I could eat a shoe at this point.” 

“Come on, let’s see what we can find.”

We opened and closed the cupboard doors aimless, too tired to pick anything but too hungry to give up. Suddenly Thor grabbed the box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch and poured the entire box in a mixing bowl. I stared at him as he poured milk on top filling the bowl up, unable to believe what he was doing. He grabbed two spoons and hopped up on the island, patting the counter top next to him. “Come on, this is dinner.” he announced. I couldn’t stifle my laugh as I struggled to climb up next to him. Once I was up he passed me a spoon and kissed my forehead affectionately. I thanked him and dug in. “Holy sugar rush this stuff is amazing.” I said after my first bite. He made a muffled sound of agreement as he chewed and nodded. We ate silently and despite my initial concern of wasting food we finished the entire bowl between the two of us. 

“This was brilliant.” I commented as I washed the bowl. 

Thor took the clean bowl from me to dry, “We need to buy more of that cereal. It was delicious.”

“Definitely. I know it was just cereal but that was a great first dinner in our home.”

“Our home.” he echoed, “I love the sound of that.” 

“Me too.”

“I never thought I’d have this. I still can’t believe it’s real.”

“It is, love. And I can’t think of anyone who deserves it more. You have been through so much to help the rest of the universe live happy, peaceful lives. Now it’s your turn for peace.” 

“I wasn’t always worthy. I spent my youth causing more trouble than I solved. Fighting for the sake of fighting, thinking it made me a man. I was just an idiot with a hammer.” 

“No, you were just young. Everyone makes mistakes when they’re young, it’s how they grow.” 

“If I told you-“

“Nope.” I cut him off, “No deal breakers, remember?” 

“How can it be that simple?”

“Because I love you.” 

“I love you too.” Thor enveloped me in a hug, “I also love sleep. Can we call it an early night?” 

“Mmm, that sounds wonderful. Lead the way.”


	23. Chapter Twenty Three

Our first morning in the new house we discovered the front of the house, and our bedroom windows, were facing the east. It was early, too early according to Thor, when our room was flooded with fiery golden sunlight.

“So much for sleeping in.” he grumbled propping himself up on the pillows. 

“I like it, it’s beautiful.” I countered.

“You’re beautiful. The way the light catches your hair, it’s like pure fire.”

I blushed under his gaze and pulled myself up to give him a quick kiss. 

Before I could move back to my side of the bed he scooped me up and moved me so I was sitting on his lap. I wrapped an arm around his neck and snuggled in against him. 

“You are so comfortable.” I said with a sigh. The feel of his plush body underneath and against me was divine. 

Thor chuckled, “I’m glad my body pleases you. We forgot one other thing yesterday, you know.”

“What was it?”

“This.” he slipped one large hand down between my legs and cupped my sex in his palm. “I had promised to take you right on the foyer floor. But this is better I think.” He moved us so I was laying on the bed and he was poised above me. “So beautiful.” he murmured as he stroked me lazily.

I was writhing beneath him, my hands running wild across his body. His skin illuminated by the sunlight made him look every bit of the magnificent golden god he was. I reached down to take him in my hand but my arm was too short. 

“Impatient are we?” he chided me. He took his length in his own hand and guided it into me with agonizing slowness. 

My breathing was ragged, I needed release and he was drawing it out laggardly. He shifted his weight onto one arm so his other was free to explore my body. His touch was incendiary, the sensations overwhelming me until I was shaking, gasping, and begging for release. His wicked grin was the only warning I got before his fingers located my clit. With a few expert flicks and rolls I was screaming his name as I finally found my release. I felt my body clamp down around his shaft as I came and he groaned, burying his face in my chest. He only made it two more lazy strokes until my spasms sent him over the edge as well. 

Thor rolled off of me, spent. Both of us breathing heavily and still coming down from the delirium of our love making. “Now that’s how you start a day.” he joked. 

“I certainly wouldn’t mind waking up to that every morning.” I grinned. 

“What did you have planned for today?” 

“I wanted to make sure everything is organized and we didn’t miss anything else. We need to look into getting a TV. Oh and I wanted to ask Maurice about where to buy plants. It’s going to officially be summer in just over a week and if I want to have a garden this year I need to get moving on it. What about you?”

“I just checked off the only thing on my to do list for the day.” 

“Checked off? I’ve never heard it called that before.” I stuck my tongue out at him playfully and he responded by tossing a pillow at my face. “This is why you wanted so many pillows!” I shrieked throwing one at him. A pillow fight ensued and only stopped because he started tickling me to get me to concede. 

Thor was delighted I made omelettes for breakfast and he searched for TV’s online while I cooked. I sat down at the kitchen table with him and we read reviews while we ate. “Can you imagine a 72” TV? It’s going to be wonderful.” he said clicking on one. 

I had to voice my concern, “We only had a 40” in the suite. I don’t think we need one that large.”

“But this is the best one. It has the best picture quality, it is a flat screen, it can do 3D, and it’s the largest one.”

“Getting the best one is great but it might be too big for the living room. You don’t want to feel like your nose is pressed up against the screen sitting on the sofa to watch it.”

“I measured, we have plenty of space. We can move the sofa back another foot or two if we need to or we can completely rearrange things. I had a 54” in the cottage and our living room is much bigger. We’ll be fine.” 

“I’m not going to talk you out of this, am I?”

“It’s just so much better for playing video games. Trust me, love, we won’t regret getting it.”

“Okay, let’s do it. Do you want to sign up for an account or have me do it?”

“I can do it.” He started clicking through the prompts adding on things I would have never worried about like new connection cables, an extra five year warranty, expert installation, and two day rush delivery. I was resigned to letting him have his fun and started cleaning up our dishes while he placed the order. 

“Let’s visit the horses once you’re done. I want to go for a ride.” Thor said closing the laptop. 

“I’m ready now.” I dried my hands and then we were off.


	24. Chapter Twenty Four

We arrived to an empty barn, much to Thor’s disappointment. Rick, one of Maurice’s helpers told us the horses were out in the far northern pasture for the day and offered to drive us out there so we could ride. He loaded up the back of his black pickup truck with riding equipment and we hopped in the front cab with him. It was a short drive over to the pasture and all fourteen of the horses were hanging out by the gate when they heard the truck coming. Rick hopped out and opened the gate for us, shooing the horses away so we could enter. Lady walked right over to Thor, clearly fond of him, and started nuzzling his shoulder. He put a carrot he had grabbed from the barn fridge out on his palm and she happily accepted it from him. 

“Someone has a favorite.” I teased.

“The man or the horse?” Rick joked as he walked past.

Thor ignored both us and continued to fawn over his horse.

I had a carrot as well hoping it would coax the little chestnut brown mare named Gypsy to let me pet her. She was one of the smaller horses and closer in size to the regular horses I had seen before. She was still a big animal but for some reason I found her less intimidating. I called her name as I approached and her ears twitched watching me intently. I placed the carrot on my palm as Thor had done and waited for her to take the last two steps to me if she was interested. She walked over right away and took the carrot gently, her fuzzy mouth brushing against my hand. I praised her and gave her neck a quick pet. She leaned into me and I resumed petting her which she seemed to enjoy. 

“You should take her out for a ride. She’s fond of you.” Rick said walking over with a saddle for me. 

“I don’t know. I’ve never ridden before. And all she did was take a carrot from me.” I told him.

“It’s the way she’s leaning in on you. Horses are affectionate animals, you see how Lady keeps all but knocking Thor over? That’s her getting close to him so he knows she cares. Gypsy is doing the same thing to you, just gentler.” 

“I guess I should probably try considering we own a horse form, huh?”

“You’re gonna have to do it sometime.”

“Okay, today it is. Saddle her up!”

Rick chuckled and started getting Gypsy ready for me. Thor was already done setting up Lady and I watched him mount her with one graceful motion. 

“You make that look so easy!” I yelled over at him.

“It is easy!” he called back. He was so comfortable up on the horse’s back and I hoped I would learn to be as well. Riding was something he enjoyed and I wanted to be able to share it with him some of the time. 

Rick lead Gypsy over to me and helped me up. It took me several tries but I finally swung myself up and into the saddle. “I can walk you for a little bit so you two can get used to each other if you want.” Rick offered. 

I thanked him and we went along the fence line for a few minutes until I got the hang of things. Thor was racing Lady over on the other side of the hill, both of them enjoying the fun. I assured Rick I was fine after a bit and directed Gypsy over to where Thor and Lady were taking a break. 

“Hey!” I shouted as we approached them.

“Look at you up on a horse!” he yelled back. 

“I know! I can’t believe it myself.” 

“I was going to walk Lady over by the stream for a bit if you want to come along. It’s right over that hill.”

“I think we can manage that.” 

I gave Gypsy a nudge and she walked right alongside Lady on the way to the stream. We followed it along the path to the pond and then headed back. I enjoyed the peacefulness of riding and wished I had tried it sooner. Both horses picked up the pace as we approached the herd and I had a feeling they were happy to be done carrying us around. 

Thor had no problem dismounting from Lady and he was down in an instant. I, however, did not have it so easy. Gypsy was shorter than Lady but I was shorter too. Thor saw me hesitating and came over to assist . 

“Here, allow me help.” He offered. 

Embarrassed but grateful, I let him grab my waist and pull me down from the horse. Once I was back on solid ground my muscles made me distinctly aware I had been using them in ways I had not used them before. 

“Ow.” I whined after a few awkward steps. 

“I know, love. It takes some getting used to. I’m sore too.” He assured me. “Did you have fun though?”

“Yes, actually I did. It was so relaxing.” 

“I knew you’d like it. Riding is good for everything. Whether you want to burn off some steam and go for a wild run or if you need to relax and take a long walk, it’s just great.”

“I won’t be running Gypsy any time soon but today was fun.”

“Thank you for trying. I really appreciate that you care enough to try and joined me today.” 

“Of course. If it’s important to you, it’s important to me.”

Thor pulled me in for a hug and rested his head on top of mine. I let my sore aching muscles relax and I practically melted against him as I snuggled into his chest. His body was so warm and large, I could have stayed there all day.

Rick’s voice broke me from the temporary reverie, “If you’re all set I’ll load up your equipment and take you back.” 

Thor lifted his head but didn’t let me go, “You can take the equipment back but we’re going to go for a walk. Thank you though.”

Rick nodded and started loading things up. 

Thor rested his head back on top of mine, “I hope you don’t mind.” 

“I’m so sore, you may end up carrying me back.” I warned him.

“I will accept that risk. It is not overly far.”

We stood together a few moments longer basking in the late morning sun. I heard the rumble of Rick’s truck heading back to the barn and a moment later Thor finally moved away. “Come on, my love, I have a spot I would like to show you.” 

Begrudgingly I followed Thor up down the lane and a little farther out and up one of the larger hills on the property. Once we reached the top I realized why he had brought me there. The view from the top of hill was spectacular. The rolling hills and surrounding forest sprawled out in front of us, we could see the barns and the house as well. It was idyllic and gave the illusion that the farm was a little world all of its own. I stood leaning against him, shoulder to shoulder, taking in the awe inspiring view of our land.

“How did you know this was here?” I asked him.

“Maurice told me about it when we toured the farm. This meadow is the best view on the entire property. He would have taken us to it but we were running short on time.” Thor explained.

“It’s breathtaking.” 

“I couldn’t agree more.” Thor’s voice had dropped a few octaves lower and I looked up to realize he was staring at me and not the landscape. 

I blushed terribly and ducked my head letting my hair fall forward to shield my embarrassment. 

Thor was having none of it however and he turned to capture my chin in his hand, “Don’t hide from me, my beautiful girl.” 

The intensity of his gaze was unnerving, “I don’t even know how to respond to that.” I tried to shuffle away, but he took my hand in his.

“Why? You are perfection.” 

I blew out a heavy breath, “I just don’t see myself the way you do.” Thor made a scoffing noise but I continued, “I know I’m not hideous, I’m not stupid, but the way you look at me… I don’t know how to describe it.”

“Like you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in all my years? Like you are my one shining light in a lifetime of darkness? Like my world begins and ends with you?” 

If my cheeks were pink before, they were positively scarlet at his praise. 

“Because you are, Mia. You are all that and more. You always want me to see the good in myself, I want the same for you.” 

“It’s just means so much more coming from you. You’re, well you’re YOU. So when you put me up on this pedestal I can’t understand why. I’m just a girl from Sajoren who lived a boring little life taking care of her sister and trying to make ends meet each month. It’s beyond comprehension.” 

“Let me tell you what I see. I see a girl who spent her life taking care of her little sister when her parents failed them. Who worked herself to the bone to keep them fed and housed all while going to school to better herself. When her planet was dying she stayed behind helping others escape and searching for her sister instead of saving herself. Then she met a man who was still reeling from a never ending string of failures and by some miracle she saw the good in him. She made it her mission to help him see it too. And when this man failed himself, and her, she still did not find him lacking, she loved him all the same. You, my darling, are nothing short of extraordinary.” 

A few unbidden tears slipped down my cheeks. Staring up into his beautiful mismatched eyes, brimming with love, I was overcome with emotion. 

“Don’t cry, love. Just accept that you are, and always will be, my everything.” He kissed me then, tenderly, as if for the first time. The pressure of his lips was feather light and he moved with patient grace waiting for me to respond before pushing further. I responded in kind, not wanting to rush the wondrous feel of his lips against mine. I needed his tenderness, it was a balm against my raw emotions. 

Thor continued his lazy kisses down my throat and instead of the wildfire this normally spread through my body it was honey slow, leisurely filling me with warmth. He scooped me up in his arms and knelt down to lay me beneath him in the meadow grass. The sun was almost directly above us shining down on his golden skin, making him look even more ethereal as he hovered above me. His hand slipped down into my jeans and he began stroking me. His touch was delicate, not quite teasing but far from his usual ministrations. I was beyond coherent thought, my world filled with warmth and golden light. I closed my eyes, basking in the wondrous warmth of his skin against mine and the bright sunshine. Even with closed eyes I was filled with light, it was all consuming. I wasn’t sure what was more blinding, the sun or the slow wave of the orgasm that crashed through me under his skillful touch. 

“So beautiful,” he murmured while pulling off my jeans and panties. I removed my shirt and bra while he stood up. He undressed himself quickly and my mouth actually watered at the sight of him standing there in the quiet meadow with the brilliant sunlight illuminating him. My breathing was labored under the duress of my need. He smiled, watching the heaving of my bare chest. “You desire me?” he asked already knowing my answer.

“Yes, my love. Desperately.” I assured him.

He lowered himself back to the ground, poised above me and brushing against my entrance with the blunt head of his sex. My body shuddered at the contact. “My beautiful girl. My love. My world.” he cooed in my ear as he eased himself into me. 

I was delirious and started rolling my hips against his, encouraging his movement within me. “My love,” I panted between gasped breaths, “My protector. My king.”

A groan caught in his throat at the word king and I was elated by his pleasure. He planted soft kisses across my breasts, his beard brushing against my stomach, as he continued his languid thrusts. I heard whispered words in a language I didn’t understand as he worshipped my body with his. Another orgasm began to build and I let myself go, consumed by our love making. Pleasure flooded my body and his name was on my lips as I came. Thor’s release was a moment later, “Oh, my darling love.” he groaned before losing control. He was still breathing heavily as he rolled off of me onto his side. His hand stroked the bare skin of my stomach and he wore a satisfied smile on his lips. “I never wanted to be the king I was meant to be.” he told me quietly, “But to be your king, well that would be more than I could ever ask for.” 

I traced his jaw with my thumb, staring deep into his eyes, “You are. Forever.”

His smile spread, “And you are my queen.” 

“Mm. I like the sound of that.”

“As do I.”

“I’ve never made love outdoors. I have to say, it was pretty spectacular. I’m very glad we bought a place with so much land.” 

“It has its advantages. You look so lovely out here, we should get dressed or I’ll be tempted to have you again.” 

I chuckled but started pulling on my clothes. Thor was dressed in an instant and had me picked up before I could finish buttoning up my jeans.

“What are you doing?” I squeaked.

“Carrying you home, as promised.” he explained as if it was obvious.

“No, Thor, put me down. It’s like a mile back to the house.”

“Do you doubt I could carry you that far? You are forgetting who I am, my love.” 

“No, not at all. Just that I would slow you down going that far and I’m absolutely capable of walking back.” 

Thor made a humpf sound but set me back down. I wrapped my arm around his and we headed back to our house.


	25. Chapter Twenty Five

The first week at Beau Terre flew by before we knew it. Our days were filled with exploring the land and learning what needed to be done to keep things running. Thor was eager for knowledge, he wanted to learn the ins and outs of running the farm incase he ever needed to fill in for one of the crew. He became so engrossed that he barely noticed when the TV arrived. Though once he did, he spent the rest of the day online with Korg plotting the demise of someone called Noobmaster69. 

His weekly sessions with Dr. Grant were just as easy over Skype as it was in person and we agreed he would just take over my office in the attic for them. 

“How was it today?” I asked him as he joined me in the garden where I was getting the last of my tomatoes planted.

He shrugged, sitting down on the ground with me to help. “It was a bit much. She’s glad I’m adjusting here with no issues but now she’s pushing me a lot more.”

“How so?”

“We’re digging a lot into my childhood. Finding where things started. It’s hard, I know Odin tried in his own way but he was a shitty father. He drove Loki and I apart from the time we were young. I never stood a chance at a normal life after growing up in that palace.”

“At least you’re able to recognize that now.”

“But what good does it do? They’re all dead and I’m the only one left standing to sift through the mess they made. I can’t tell Odin what I think. I can’t make up with Loki. It’s all for nothing.”

“It’s not for nothing, love. You have to work through this so you can move past it. You have do that so you can go on and live a life that they no longer have the chance to.”

“I’m trying, my love.”

“I know you are. And you’ll get there. I’m proud of you.”

Thor blushed and excused himself to go check on the horses for the night. 

 

Valkyrie visited during our second weekend at Beau Terre. I was starting to consider her a friend as well, not just a friend of Thor’s. She was quick witted and a loyal friend. It was nice to have someone on my side to gang up on Thor occasionally too, all in good fun. As expected she fawned over the horses endlessly. Thor took her out for a long ride around the property while I prepared dinner for the three of us. They returned sweaty and starving but having had a wonderful time. 

“I haven’t had fun like that ages.” Valkyrie exclaimed leaning over the kitchen island with a sigh of exhaustion. 

I laughed at her dramatics, “Here, drink this. I made lemonade.” I handed her a tall cold glass which she chugged down immediately and held out for a refill. I refilled her glass, shaking my head. She was as bad as Thor. 

“This is divine. Be careful Odinson, I’m going to steal more than your horse.” she warned.

Thor growled mildly, wrapping his arms around my waist, “This one is mine.”

Valkyrie laughed, “I could use a good woman in my life and you found the best. Mia, my dear, is there anything I can do to persuade you to leave this oaf and run away with me?”

I laughed and hid my blushing face against Thor’s chest. “Sorry, Val.” I said using the nickname she allowed only me to use. “I’m pretty stuck on the big guy here.”

“Damn it all. Well, a girl’s to try.”

I threw a dish towel at her and started plating our roasted chicken. 

We ate outside on the back patio in the early summer air. It was blissfully normal having an old friend over for dinner and the conversation flowed easily throughout the meal. Valkyrie spoke of New Asgard and some of the initiatives she was working on. It was sweet how she asked for Thor’s guidance even though he had made it abundantly clear he would not rule them. He obliged her though and I sat back enjoying watching how animated they both became discussing the feasibility of New Asgard going green with all renewable energy and its own set of wind turbines. The evening wore on and the backyard lights were turned on, unwilling to end our fun. We sat around late into the night, sipping on whiskey and talking. It was after midnight when she finally departed, assuring us she was not stealing a horse just yet and would be back to visit again soon. 

 

It was after Thor’s third therapy Skype session that the nightmares returned. He was continuing the hard work but it was taking a toll on him. The first nightmare was the worst, I had never seen that level of fear in his eyes. I tried to console him but he couldn’t even talk about it. He just clung to me in the darkness, his body still trembling. I stroked his hair, whispering comforting words and praying I would find the right ones to take away his pain. 

After that I started waking up in the middle of the night to find him downstairs playing on the Xbox. One time I was able to coax him back to bed but other nights he shrugged me off with an apologetic frown. Worried about him after the string of sleepless nights and finally I called Dr. Grant myself. She said it was normal considering he was starting to really get at the heart of his issues and that as long as he continued working through things he would get through this rough patch. She reminded me that he’d had a rough year and that he was barely six weeks into treatment. 

I tried to talk with him about the issues he was battling and Thor had let on that it involved the loss of his family and partly his childhood. He said he had a lot to process and it was too painful to hold on to but also too painful to let go of. So I continued to comfort him the best I could and gave him the space he needed to heal. It was difficult at times but I knew what I was in for making a life with him and nothing could change the love I felt for him.


	26. Chapter Twenty Six

It was our one month anniversary of buying Beau Terre and I had spent almost the whole afternoon cooking up a feast for Thor and I. He was out for the day in the fields with the guys working to expand the western fence line which allowed me to get everything ready. I had spent days finding recipes online and planning things out. Thor arrived home as I was putting the apple tart in the oven. He pulled me in for a kiss and then dashed upstairs for a quick shower before dinner. 

It was the first real heatwave of summer and the kitchen was sweltering. I was worn out and sweating more than I had in ages but I powered through trying to get things set up at the dining room table before he came back down. I was more than ready for our meal. The whole house smelled divine and it was driving me insane. I hadn’t eaten yet due to a mild nagging nausea that plagued me most of the day. By the time it subsided enough for me to be hungry I was wrapped up in cooking and didn’t have a chance to stop. 

I heard Thor’s heavy footsteps on the stairs, “I think I’m going to buy a truck.” he called out. 

“What kind?” I asked heading back to the kitchen for the salad bowls.

“Just something to drive around the farm. All the other guys have them and it would be convenient.” 

“Okay, I’ll have to teach you how to drive though. I promise you it’s not as easy as it looks.” I tugged at the neckline of my dress, it was stifling in the kitchen. 

Thor was standing in the doorway to the kitchen as I carried the bowls towards him. I heard him saying something but it sounded like he was underwater. I strained to hear him but he wasn’t making any sense and the last thing I saw before the world faded away was his wide eyed expression and his lips yelling my name. 

I woke up sometime later on the floor surrounded by the spilled salad and broken bowls, my head laying in Thor’s lap. I had a splitting headache. He looked like he had aged a decade and his voice wavered as he spoke, “The ambulance is on it’s way. Hold on love.” 

“What happened?” I asked groggily, trying to get my bearings.

Thor sniffed and I realized he had been crying, still was in fact. “You passed out. It was out of nowhere and I didn’t move fast enough to catch you and you hit your head pretty hard on the tile. You’re bleeding and I… I called 911 because I didn’t know what else to do. I don’t know where the hospital is closest to here and I couldn’t drive you there and you were just so still and cold. I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t get to you in time to catch you…” he was rambling, on the verge of hysteria.

I fought through the pain in my head, he needed to calm down. “Okay, it’s okay love. You did the right thing. I think I’m fine though. I just need to eat something, I wasn’t feeling great today and got distracted making our dinner.” I caught the scent of burnt sugar in the air, “Shit. Thor, go turn off the oven and take the tart out. I think it’s burnt.” 

“I don’t want to let you go.”

“I’m going to sit up, you are going to go take care of the tart so we don’t start a fire. Get me a glass of water while you’re up.” 

Thor scowled but helped me sit up and then attended to the oven. He was handing me the water when the paramedics arrived. Thor hurried to the front door to meet them, “She’s in here.” he directed them to me.

I was sitting up, still on the floor, and gave them a little wave. “Hey guys. Sorry to have called you out here for this. I passed out making dinner and my fiance got worried.”

A young hispanic woman came over to kneel down next to me, “Hi, I’m Lucy. Can you tell me your name?” she asked. 

“I’m Mia.” I answered her knowing she needed to do her job.

“Where are you from Mia?”

“I’m Sojuran.”

“Ah, that explains the blood. I have some questions for you Mia.” She ran through a series of questions to ensure I was fully coherent and I answered them all easily. Her partner, an older man stood off to the side talking with Thor.

“How long was she out for?” she called over to Thor.

I looked over and saw he was wringing his hands, looking absolutely petrified. I noticed I had bled all over his shirt and pants which were now stained a mix of red and blue. “Six minutes.” he said barely loud enough for us to hear him. 

Lucy started packing gauze against my head and instructed me to hold it tightly for her. “That’s more than just a little bump and you have a good sized gash back there, Mia. We’re going to take you to the hospital with us so you can get stitched up. We have to make sure the concussion isn’t too severe too. We’ll run some tests just to be sure but it seems like heat exhaustion and low blood sugar to me.”

“Can he ride with us?” I asked nervously.

“It might get a little cramped but yeah, he can come along too. Dave, can you go get the stretcher please?”

The older gentleman nodded and headed out. Lucy asked me a few more questions as Dave brought in the stretcher and the two of them lifted me onto it. They started wheeling me out and I noticed Thor was standing in the doorway, frozen. “Thor, come on, we’ve gotta go.” I called to him. My voice snapped him out of whatever thought he was lost in and he scrambled to catch up. The ride to the hospital was only 15 minutes and I got a room right away since we came by ambulance. Thor was silent the whole time but never let go of my hand. 

The nurses came in and ran my vitals, taking a few vials of blood as well just to be safe. The poor nurse was quite shocked when my blood came out vivid blue instead of red. “I’m Sojuran,” I told her, “We are are very close in physiology to humans and not quite. Our blood doesn’t react to oxygen right away like yours does. It will take a few minutes for it to turn red.” The nurse apologized and hurried off with the vials. The doctor came to examine my wound and agreed it would need a few stitches which he did himself. Thor paled watching the doctor stitch me up but didn’t leave my side. The nurse came back back in with a glass of orange juice as the doctor was finishing up.

“Okay, Mia. I need you to drink this orange juice for me and eat a packet of crackers.” the doctor instructed, “Your blood sugar was in the crapper when you came in and I think this was a simple case of hypoglycemia and heat exhaustion. We’ll get your blood sugar up and you’ll be on your way. The swelling from the concussion isn’t severe but you’ll need to keep an eye on it for the next few days. I sent your blood work out to the lab just to be safe and they’ll call you tomorrow with the results.” 

I thanked the doctor and started sipping the orange juice under Thor’s watchful eyes. 

“Sweetheart you’re going to have to stop looking at me like that.” I tried to sound teasing but I was tired and just sounded sad.

Thor winced, “I almost lost you. You were so small and there was so much blood. I couldn’t help you. There was nothing I could do and you weren't waking up.” 

“I’m fine now. It was just me being stupid and not eating all day. I think I’m coming down with something, my stomach has been off. I’m sorry I scared you so badly.”

“You shouldn’t have pushed yourself trying to make such a big elaborate dinner if you were not well. I do not need that, I need you to be safe.”

“I am safe. I am perfectly safe and you made sure of that. And I wanted to do something nice for our one month anniversary at Beau Terre. It’s special damnit.” 

That brought a fraction of a smirk to Thor’s lips but it didn’t reach his eyes, “Well we can enjoy it tomorrow. I’m getting you home and to bed, woman.” 

The discharge nurse came in shortly after to check my blood sugar and have us complete the paperwork. Much to Thor’s annoyance, we had to call a taxi to take us home. 

“I need to learn to drive. I would have been able to get you here myself. I can’t even get us home.” he grumbled after calling for the taxi.

“I’m going to teach you, and we’ll get you the truck you were talking about earlier. It’ll be okay, love.” I told him.

By the time we arrived home I was exhausted and Thor insisted on carrying me straight up to bed. He sat with me while I fell asleep, promising to go put away the dinner as soon as I was out. It didn’t take long until I fell asleep holding his hand and hoping I hadn’t scared him too badly with the whole ordeal.


	27. Chapter Twenty Seven

“NO!” Thor’s scream was deafening. It was pitch black in our bedroom and the bed was rocking violently as he trashed around in his sleep. I called his name, hoping to wake him, but it didn’t help. I switched on the bedside lamp, continuing to call his name. I tried shaking him but he was moving around too much and I ended up getting caught in the chest by his flailing arm. 

“Oww” I cried out clutching my chest where he had struck me. My yelp of pain woke him and he jumped straight out of bed. 

“What? Where? Did I hurt you? Oh gods above, did I hurt you?” he asked frantically.

“I’m fine. You were having a nightmare. I tried waking you and didn’t dodge your arm in time. I’m okay, come back to bed.” I patted his side of the bed next to me.

“How can you want me back in the bed with you? It’s not safe. You were just injured hours ago and now I’ve hurt you. You should stay there, you need your rest.” 

I stood up and crossed the room to him. “I am safe with you. You were asleep, it happens. We both need rest after last night. Please come back to bed.” I stretched up on my toes to kiss him and stroked his beard softly, trying to calm him. 

“I’ve hurt you. I let you fall and now I’ve hurt you. I’ve failed you twice in less than a day.” his eyes were so far off and scared that it was starting to worry me.

“No, you didn’t. Thor, look at me, I’m fine. I want to go back to sleep and I want you to join me.”

“I can’t. Not right now. I’m sorry. I’m going to stay up a bit and then I’ll be back once I’m tired again.” 

I took a long breath, debating if I should push the issue. He was rattled though and I worried if he went right back to sleep he would have another nightmare or pick up where the last one left off. “Okay, I’m going back to sleep. Please don't stay up too late.”

“I won’t.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.” And with that he headed out and downstairs. I fell asleep to the distant sound of his video game loading. 

 

When I opened my eyes again it was a little after 9am. I hardly ever slept that late and the room was filled with bright daylight. Thor wasn’t on his side of the bed and it looked just as rumpled as he had left it earlier that morning. I worried he had stayed up all night instead of coming back to bed as he’d promised. Slowly, I got up and started my day. My head still throbbed a little and the faint nausea was back. I headed downstairs to look for Thor and make a cup of tea. He wasn’t in the living room but I saw a collection of beer bottles on the coffee table so it wasn’t hard to piece together what had happened after I fell asleep. 

I wandered into the kitchen to make my tea and found his cell phone sitting on the island. He never went anywhere without his phone. Tucked under his phone was a folded piece of notepad paper, my name on the front fold in his elegant looped handwriting. The note was brief but it might as well have been a live grenade.

Mia,  
I cannot be a burden upon you any longer, nor a danger to you. I will love you for the rest of my days and while you will miss me at first, please know you are safer without me. I only want what’s best for you, and unfortunately that will never be me. I’m so sorry it took me this long to realize it. Don’t worry about Beau Terre or how you’ll get by. I’ve transferred all of the money from my Swiss account to your personal one. You are set to live out the rest of your very long life in comfort. I hope you find love someday with someone worthy and perfect for you. You deserve all the good things the universe can give you.  
I love you.  
Thor

 

I read the letter again, over and over again until the words stopped making sense. I checked his phone and saw only the call to 911 from the day before. There was a text though, to Valkyrie around 4am. All it said was “You were wrong. Be safe my friend.” The message was still unread. I called her, hoping Thor had retreated to the cottage again. She answered on the fifth ring, “What is it Odinson? You’re interrupting a very important meeting, you tremendous oaf.” she snapped.

“Val, it’s Mia. Thor’s gone.” my voice broke on the last word.

“Mia, what? What are you saying? What do you mean he’s gone?”

“There’s a note. He’s left me.” 

“Like hell he has. I’ll kill the fool myself. Hold on, Mia, I’m going the cottage now.”

I heard Valkyrie barking out orders and then the puffing of her breath and pounding of feet while she ran. “Almost there Mia, hang on. I’ll get our idiot back for you. Probably not in one piece by the time I’m done though.” I stayed on the line listening, waiting, praying. I heard a door slam open and Valkyrie bellow Thor’s name. The silence that followed wrenched my soul. “He’s… he’s not here Mia. I don’t know where he would have gone. I’m coming over. We’re going to figure this out, okay? Just hang out there. We’ll find the bastard.”

I sat numbly at the kitchen counter until Valkyrie arrived. She must have broken a speed record for how quickly she made it up to Beau Terre. “Mia.” she exclaimed, throwing her arms around me. I was too numb to respond and I sat staring at my cold tea and the note. “Let me make some calls, okay? We’ ll figure this out.” 

I nodded, unable to speak past the lump in my throat. 

“You’re looking a little pale, have you eaten anything yet?” 

I shook my head, “Not yet, I will though. That’s what caused the issues last night.”

“What happened last night?”

“I was feeling crappy and tried to make this huge fancy dinner. I ended up passed out on the kitchen floor and scared the hell out of Thor. I have stitches now.” I moved my hair aside so I could show her.

“Allfathers above, Mia. That had to be awful. So our big guy got a little spooked and hightailed it. We’re going to find him, that oaf can’t hide from me.” 

“Thank you, Val. I don’t know what I would do without you.” 

“You’d be lost without me, clearly.” she winked, “Now, let’s make you some toast and I’ll get started on hunting down our boy.” 

Within the hour Valkyrie set up a full fledged home base in my dining room, she was searching for any clue of where Thor could have gone. She called Korg, Clint, Banner, Dr. Grant, and everyone else she could think of that Thor would have had contact with. She even reached out to Quil, Rocket, Drax, and Mantis on her satellite phone as they were all several planets away. But he was gone without a trace. By lunch time I was feeling claustrophobic by Valkyrie’s intermittent doting and not having really moved from the sofa where she had moved me to earlier. I heard my phone ringing in the other room and I ran for it. “Thor?” I called out, half out of my mind. 

I grabbed the phone and saw an unfamiliar number, “Hello, is this Mia Kyalan?” a woman asked. 

“Yes, it is.” I replied nervously.

“This is Laura from Our Lady Memorial Hospital. We got your lab results back and wanted to follow up.”

“Yes, of course. Everything was fine, correct? I’m sorry but I’m quite busy right now.” 

“Well, we did have one thing show up on your blood work that wasn’t listed on your file. Ms. Kyalan, are you aware you’re pregnant?” 

I wavered, my legs unsteady, “Pregnant?” I flopped down onto the sofa. 

“Yes, ma’am. We ran the labs twice. You are most definitely pregnant. I’m taking it this was a surprise?”

“Uh yes, yes it is. I have the implant birth control in my arm.”

“I saw on your chart that you are Sajoran. While our species are very similar it may not have worked as effectively on you as it should have. Or it could have just failed, it’s rare but it does happen. Either way, you need to schedule an appointment with an obstetrician this week to have it removed and find out how far along you are. I can send you the information for doctors in our network if you would like.”

“Yes, that would be fine. Just email me the information if you could please.”

“Of course. Congratulations, Ms. Kyalan. I hope you have a wonderful day.”

I hung up the phone without another word. Valkyrie stood across the room staring at me, having heard everything. She was standing so still, her face stricken, unable to form words just yet.

I was pregnant. Thor was gone. I was going to have a baby, our baby. But he had left us, first just me and now the baby too. He had wanted children so badly and now he would never even know if we couldn’t track him down.

It was like the fog lifted and the pain and anguish I had been holding in all day came rushing in at once. Finally I let myself scream and cry until I was nothing but a dry, empty shell Valkyrie held in her arms. And once I was done, no voice left, no tears remaining, I prayed silently for oblivion. 

 

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, we've reached the end friends. I wanted to say thank you for taking the time to read my work. This is the first Fan Fiction novel I've written and I really hope I did the characters I borrowed from the MCU justice. After watching End Game my heart was broken for Thor. He's always been my favorite MCU character and they just keep beating him down time after time despite his tremendous heart and sunny disposition. I wanted to create a world where he could really get over the depression/ anxiety issues brought to light in End Game as well as make a life for himself and find love. His journey is far from over and book two (Redemption) will pick up right after this book ends. I started writing it last week and hope to have it ready by summer's end this year. 
> 
> Thank you again!  
> A.L.M.


End file.
